Life in Motion
by ifsoever
Summary: Sequel to Blood, Badges, and Bonds. This story picks up a few years later, with Bo and Lauren still married and in love. But life is never easy for BoLo. Rocked by an unforeseen event, Bo and Lauren will find themselves trying to navigate through the changes around them, and the constant pressures of their careers, while keeping their insatiable bond intact.
1. Chapter 1

**This story picks up a few years after Blood, Badges, and Bonds ended, so it's probably a good idea to read that fic as well as Heart and Mind before starting this one.**

XXXXXX

"I'm so confused," Lauren murmured to Bo, eyeing Tamsin and Evony across the room. "How do they even know each other? When did this happen?"

Bo shifted her eyes to the pair as Evony tossed her head back and laughed at Tamsin. "As cops, we spend a lot of time at the hospital. They most likely met there." She shrugged and turned back to her wife, openly studying her.

Lauren clicked her tongue in disapproval as they made their way through the mass of people in Kenzi's living room. Kenzi and Hale's place was more spacious compared to Bo and Lauren's house, the open floor plan created ample space for lots of mingling between the guests without feeling cramped or swarmed. After years of living in their apartment, Bo and Lauren had finally decided to buy a house. Their own home. The hunt had taken awhile as Lauren wanted to get it right, making a list of everything she wanted, and everything Bo wanted, weighed by priority. To her it made making the decision easier, that way they could rely on logic instead of emotion. Finally, they had found a great house with almost everything they wanted, and since it was just the two of them, they didn't need a lot of space. And Kenzi's home was a mansion compared to their modest house.

"Call me crazy, but it's so weird. What do they even have in common?" Lauren said, not dropping the subject.

Evony and Tamsin's relationship was odd to Lauren, and it seemed to come out of nowhere. What the hell did her friend see in Evony of all people? Tamsin was one of the kindest, most generous people she had ever met, so it irked her that Evony was targeting her. And honestly, she hated the idea of Evony infiltrating her close-knit group of friends. She just wanted to enjoy their company without Evony saying or doing something to ruin it. Who even invited her, anyway?

Bo wrapped an arm around Lauren. "Opposites attract."

Evony must have sensed Lauren talking about her. She turned and stared at her for a second, arched a condescending brow before returning her attention to Tamsin.

Still watching Tamsin and Evony, Lauren muttered quietly to Bo. "I guess, but it's still bizarre to see, and think about."

Chuckling, Bo darted into Lauren's vision, blocking her view of the pair. "Do you think about them often?"

Lauren wrinkled her face in disgust. "Ew, that's just gross," She said, and Bo couldn't help the small grin that appeared on her lips. "Opposites may attract, but having similar goals and common interests, all that stuff matters as well."

"Maybe Tamsin just needed to unclog the pipes down there. You know clean out those vagina cobwebs." Bo stopped and laughed at herself.

Lauren pursed her lips at Bo, not amused. "Bo, stop."

"I'm just saying, maybe she just needed a satisfying, wild lay. I think it's been awhile."

Lauren shook her head at that, and thought that she needed a drink and fast to forget about the awkward coupling.

"You are being surprisingly judgy."

That statement earned Bo another stern look because she didn't feel like she was judging Tamsin, she was only concerned about her. "I don't want to see Tamsin get hurt…Evony's well…" Her mouth closed mid-reply as her eyes widened when Evony and Tamsin kissed.

"Do we have to talk about this?" Bo bumped her forehead on Lauren's shoulder a few times. "I'm exhausted. I want to go home and have a long soak in a hot bath, and then love on my wife for a few hours."

Lauren frowned and glanced around at the other party guests. "But Dyson isn't here yet, and we haven't had dinner. Do you mind if we stay a couple more hours?"

Bo leaned back against a nearby wall and drew Lauren close. "Do I get a reward for waiting patiently?" She grinned, mischievously, eager to bring a smile back to Lauren's face.

Lauren inched closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I think that can be arranged."

"Good because I've started making a list." Bo's voice was serious, but her eyes were playful.

Lauren smiled, just like Bo had wanted, as her eyes lowered to Bo's lips briefly before shifting them back to her eyes. "A list?"

"Of all the ways you can reward me."

Lauren's lips were puckered in thought, and Bo wanted to kiss them or bite them, or both. Considering how physically attracted she was to Lauren, it was almost impossible not to kiss her right then, but before she could, Lauren spoke. "What's on this list of yours?"

With desire evident in Bo's smoky bedroom eyes, she wiggled her eyebrows. "Things. Lots and lots of unbelievably hot, naked and sweaty things with an incredibly sexy you."

Lauren flushed all over. Bo could still make Lauren feel like she was looking at her for the first time, not the millionth time. She never before felt so sexy in the eyes of another as she did with Bo. And she still managed to give her butterflies, make her tremble just with her words. How could Bo still affect her physically after all this time, she'd never fully understand. Though she was grateful.

Lauren glided a finger across Bo's parted lips. "You sure know how to flatter a girl."

Bo nipped Lauren's finger as it moved against her mouth. "I always aim to please, my love."

Lauren caught Bo's cheek in her palm, and pressed a kiss on her lips, the only feeling swirling inside Bo was happiness. Bo was so in love with her wife it was almost overwhelming. The pleasure seeking part of her was sort of dying to make love to Lauren and she briefly thought about pulling her into an empty room for a quickie but movement caught her eye, halting that idea.

Lauren heaved an audible sigh and stepped back from Bo when she saw the same movement.

XXXXX

With Tamsin by her side, Evony walked over to them like she owned the place. "Looks like the cat's out of the bag now," She said with a wink at Lauren.

Lauren faked the best smile she could manage and fished for a topic of conversation. "How did you meet?"

Grinning devilishly, Evony bit her perfect red lip and cocked her perfect eyebrow at Lauren.

Tamsin rolled her eyes at Evony's antics and answered Lauren's question. "Evony was the physician for a vic on a case I was working for a few months. We kept bumping into each other, and well…" She trailed off when her phone buzzed in her pocket.

"How nice," Lauren said and folded her arms across her chest, glaring at Evony, who stood looking back at her. Lauren kept angry eyes on Evony, waiting for her to cause a scene or say something rude.

Bo's eyes bounced between Evony and Lauren, her eyebrows suspended on her forehead. The situation had quickly turned awkward. She didn't know if she should be polite in that situation, or pull Lauren away from Evony.

After reading her text, Tamsin turned to Bo. "Can I talk to you for a minute? It's about work."

"This is a party. Can't work wait until the morning?" Lauren cut in, giving Bo a look.

"Two minutes," Tamsin promised, pulling Bo along with her.

Bo mouthed 'sorry' as Tamsin took her to a corner to discuss work.

Letting out a long sigh, Lauren watched them go, leaving her standing uncomfortably next to Evony without any buffers. Evony was just about Lauren's least favorite person to talk to in a social situation.

Evony gave Tamsin a suggestive look that made Lauren's skin crawl. "Did you like what you saw?" She whispered to Lauren, tilting her head.

Wanting to gag, Lauren choked out. "No."

Evony seemed amused by Lauren's response. "Jealous?" She asked with humor in her eyes. "You look positively green."

Lauren could feel self-satisfied smugness radiating off Evony. She knew she said things for the sole purpose of riling her up. She glared at her but didn't say anything.

"Have I rendered you speechless?" Evony flipped the hair off her shoulder. "I do have that effect on people."

"Have you ever been in love?" Lauren asked, and knew her abrupt change in conversation would throw Evony off her game.

Evony blinked at her, and then looked Lauren up and down. "I don't believe in love. I'm a very successful woman; I don't need it. It's dull and ordinary, and I'm not dull or ordinary."

Lauren involuntarily fingered the ring on her finger, and Evony's gaze followed her movement. "I don't know what you're up to, but Bo and I are in love, madly in love. We've been through a lot together. I don't need you coming back into my life and messing with me."

Lauren didn't like the triumphant smirk slowly spreading across Evony's face, nor the feeling that she had played right into her hands.

Feeling uncomfortable, Lauren spun on her heel but Evony grabbed her elbow to stop her. Her dark eyes bored into her. "I'm not hanging around Tamsin to make a play for you, Dr. Lewis. Tamsin's a lot of fun, a real dish, and our relationship has nothing to do with you."

Lauren knew Evony's motives weren't as benign as she made it sound. She planted her feet and glared at her.

"I've always said that big head of yours is going to get you in trouble. It's high time you get over yourself."

"Tamsin's my friend, and you better not hurt her." Lauren snapped back, eyes narrowing for a second.

Evony let out an amused sounding laugh. "I do what I want. If I want caviar, I'll eat caviar. And if I see a woman I want, I'll eat a woman."

"Don't be crass," Lauren said with an eye roll. "If you hurt Tamsin, I will personally make sure you regret it. Do you understand?"

"You're in a lively mood. I like it when you get worked up." Evony chuckled, apparently increasingly pleased with the back and forth. "No need for threats. She's a big girl, and I don't bite." Evony smirked, her eyebrows rising. "Well, that's not actually true, but I always ask first. It's all just a little harmless fun."

Lauren wasn't sure about the harmless part. Even though she wanted to, she resisted the urge to say her feelings out loud.

As Lauren gave Evony a dirty look, Evony huffed and turned serious. "I thought we called a truce." Lauren frowned, and she continued. "I have a high regard for you as a doctor, and I was hoping you would come back to work at the hospital. We are in need of a few good doctors."

"No," Lauren answered with a quick headshake. "I have a job."

"Oh yes, that little clinic you work at. What a waste of talent. You will get bored. You've always been so driven and competitive, and working for a private clinic will eventually get too monotonous for you."

"I like working there. I have lots of patients to see, and time to continue with research. I'm not bored. Far from it."

Evony gave a fake yawn as Lauren spoke. "That all sounds fantastic, but I want you."

Lauren's eyes widened at the double-entendre and Evony smirked with satisfaction.

"Professionally speaking of course. You are the doctor I want working under me, Dr. Lewis, and I always get what I want."

"Changing jobs at this moment is impossible to contemplate." Lauren's tone was misleadingly calm, despite the thoughts Evony had kicked up with her job offer. Even though she found Evony's personality off-putting, she was one of the best surgeons in the country, and she knew working with her would be a challenging and professionally rewarding experience. One thing Evony was right about was that Lauren always craved new challenges.

"Don't let that wife of yours hold you back from reaching your potential."

Lauren had to avoid the impulse to respond with a biting comment, refusing to sink to her level. Instead of responding she twisted away and strode off to join Bo and Tamsin.

XXXXX

Relieved to get away from Evony, Lauren guided Bo into the kitchen, who lingered behind so she could have a quick squeeze of Lauren's ass.

Lauren gave her a warning look. Bo winked at her, and couldn't help but give her another squeeze.

Lauren stopped abruptly and faced Bo, her expression devoid of humor. "I can't believe you left me alone with Evony."

"Sorry. But it was Tamsin's fault."

"She offered me a job."

Bo frowned at Lauren, confused, since Lauren had just recently gotten a new job at a private clinic, and as far as she knew Lauren disliked working for Evony. "You have a job." She stated simply, not knowing what else to say.

"I know…" Lauren started but stopped when Dyson entered the back door with his arm wrapped around Ciara as she carried their baby son in her arms.

Ciara was the heiress to a vast pharmaceutical fortune, and over a year ago she moved back and started dating Dyson. They knew her from college, and Lauren always felt like Dyson and her belonged together; they just didn't realize it. She thought it was sweet, and romantic that they had rediscovered each other after all those years. And Lauren was happy that Dyson finally found someone who complemented him so well, she only wished Tamsin could do the same, and get away from Evony.

Lauren rushed up to greet them, and Dyson scooped Lauren up into a giant bear hug, her feet left the ground for a second. "I never get to see my best friend anymore. I miss you."

Lauren craned her head back and absorbed Dyson's goofy grin. "Really? I haven't missed you at all." She said with a note of cheerful teasing.

"Very funny," He replied, a fake grumpy look on his face. "I don't feel adequately welcomed here."

Lauren stood on tiptoe and kissed Dyson's cheek. "Miss you, too. You big baby."

After that, they all said their hellos and enjoyed a few minutes of chitchat. The conversation died down, and Lauren looked at Ciara. "Can I hold him?" She asked, referring to the baby cradled in her arms.

Ciara kissed Marshall's forehead, and then handed him to Lauren. She beamed at Dyson. "Have you ever seen a kid with so many adoring fans?" She asked, and Dyson smiled proudly back at her.

Wide blue eyes looked up and studied Lauren. She considered Dyson's son her nephew, even though they weren't blood related. Dyson and her had been friends most of their lives. They'd been through every up and down in each other's lives together. And Lauren knew she could always count on him. He was her brother, her best friend, the most important person in her life, save Bo. And the moment she laid eyes on Dyson's baby, she loved him like he was family.

"Look at my beautiful nephew. I'm so happy you look like your mama, not your daddy."

"Oh, stop." Dyson laughed, helping himself to a drink. "He has all my gorgeous features."

Lauren smirked, still studying the baby's little face. "If you say so."

Minutes later, they all took a seat around the long dining room table, with the rest of the party in the other room.

"Everything's changing. Kenzi's pregnant, you have a baby, and Tamsin…has a new relationship of sorts…." Lauren mused, bouncing the baby on her knee.

"Having a baby boy to dote on is just what you needed to grow up," Bo added, giving Dyson a quick smile.

"So when will Marshall have a playmate?" Ciara asked, leaning into Dyson's body, and looking back and forth between Bo and Lauren.

Both Bo and Lauren's eyes bulged, and their mouths dropped open. They held their deer-in-headlights expressions as Ciara and Dyson looked at them expectantly. Waiting. Wondering. Hoping. Their eyes were practically dancing in suspense.

Lauren's pulse sped up while her breathing seemed to halt. "I think Kenzi has that covered." She said quickly, averting her eyes from her friends.

Ciara smiled at her, unfazed by her discomfort. "You don't want children, Lauren? I think you'd be a great mom. I mean you're a doctor."

Lauren didn't have an answer for that. In theory, she wanted children, someday, in the far future, maybe, or maybe not. The notion of never, ever having any of her own made her a little sad, but the idea of having children also scared her terribly. It was a topic she wanted to avoid as long as possible. And she knew from her own father that being a good doctor didn't equal good parenting, far from it.

"How's work?" Lauren asked, clearly shifting the conversation away from the children topic.

Ciara perked up at that, and scooted closer to Lauren. "Good. It's been really busy. I'm running my own division now."

As Lauren and Ciara talked about work, Dyson circled the table to sit next to Bo. As he settled into his seat they clinked their bottles together. "Look at me. Last year I was a single cop with a different girl in my bed every night and the next I have a girlfriend and a little boy. It's crazy huh?"

Bo smiled, and briefly glanced at her wife, who was chatting with Ciara and still holding the baby. Lauren's laughter paired with the baby's giggles had her tingling, and she forced herself to focus back on Dyson. "Honestly, it sounds overwhelming. The kid stuff I mean. Babies are a lot of work."

Dyson nudged her shoulder. "Not as much as you might think. There's something kind of amazing about having someone to love, unconditionally. Warts and all."

"I knew deep down you were a romantic at heart. You just needed to find the right woman. Or in your case rediscover the right woman."

"Ciara gave me the greatest gift I never realized I wanted or needed." Dyson gazed back at her, his expression turning earnest. "Really when are you and Lauren going to have a baby?"

Bo's skin itched just thinking about all that responsibility. "I'm too selfish right now. I don't want to share my wife." She answered honestly.

Abrupt laughter escaped Dyson. "That's what you're worried about? That the baby would take Lauren's attention away from you?"

Bo considered Dyson's question and wondered how to explain her perspective without sounding unfeeling or cold. "Kids are too demanding. We're both too career focused, my job is basically twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and Lauren's busier than ever, working two jobs now. When would we even ever see the kid? Nannies raised me, and I would hate to do that to my own child."

Dyson looked thoughtfully at Ciara and his son. "Huh. That's one way to look at it." He chuckled softly to himself, turning back to Bo. "And Lauren feels the same?"

"I think so." Bo briefly glimpsed at Lauren, who was kissing Marshall's chubby cheeks and smiling. The scene was adorable and Bo felt an unexpected flutter in her chest. That reaction confused her, and made her wonder what she really wanted.

"For the record, I think you're wrong. Working parents can make it work, just look at Ciara and I."

Seconds later, Hale came up to Dyson side and clapped his shoulder. "Hey, you made it. People have been asking for you."

Dyson shrugged. "Hard to get out, sometimes, with the little man." He grinned up at him. "You'll soon find out my friend. Having a kid changes your life."

Bo pointed at Dyson, nodding in agreement. "Exactly. And I, for one, love my life as it is."

Kenzi also joined them in the dining room, giving Marshall attention with kissy noises.

Bo's eyes roved over her sister as she stood to greet her. She was in the delightfully cute stage of pregnancy, just rolling into her fifth month. As Bo wrapped her arms around her, the baby pressed against her stomach. Chuckling, she leaned down and placed a hand over the bump. "How's the baby?"

"Growing, and always hungry."

"The baby already takes after her mama," Hale added, rubbing Kenzi's stomach after Bo stepped back. "Like a refrigerator with legs."

Kenzi looked at her husband, with love in her eyes. "Speaking of food. I could really go for a steak right now. Could you start the grill? Feed me, husband."

With a wide grin, Hale saluted her. "Anything you want little mama."

"That's one good man you have." Ciara stated, speaking to Kenzi.

"Don't I know it." Kenzi answered and lowered herself to a chair, her stomach brushed the edge.

After Hale and Dyson had left to start the food, they all passed the baby back and forth, enjoying him as much as he enjoyed the endless attention.

Bo rounded the table to sit next to her wife. "I still can't get over that Dyson has a baby. It happened so fast." She whispered to Lauren, so Ciara didn't overhear.

Lauren laughed and nodded. "I'm glad we don't have to worry about that."

Holding her belly, Kenzi sprang from the table and shuffled her way out of the dining room when Hale called for her.

"Getting each other pregnant?" Bo asked, shifting her attention back to Lauren after Kenzi disappeared from her view.

Lauren nodded a yes, as she sipped her drink.

"You don't want…"

Caught completely off guard, Lauren frowned, leaning back in her chair while her eyes studied Bo. "Do you?"

Bo's eyes twinkled lovingly at Lauren, and she dropped her hand to Lauren's knee. "I want whatever you want. You being happy makes me happy, and that will never change."

"I'm not certain where this conversation is heading, but our schedules keep us on the go and very busy," Lauren spoke her truth, quietly. "I don't want to talk about kids. Not yet. I don't want to rush into things."

Bo nodded and dropped it. Perhaps it wasn't the best time to talk about it, but then it never was. It's not that she wanted kids, soon, or maybe ever, but she did feel like the topic at least warranted an extended conversation to make sure they were on the same page.

The rest of the evening went by in a blur, with the baby keeping them entertained. To her relief, Lauren was able to avoid any more awkward encounters with Evony because they had ducked out early. The second source of her relief came from the fact that no one else brought up the baby subject.

XXXXX

The next morning, Lauren glanced over her shoulder, finding Bo in a black tank top and tiny underwear, and nothing else. Lauren was practically in a lusty trance as she watched Bo slowly walk toward her.

"Good morning, beautiful."

"Morning, love," Bo said groggily, stretching out her arms.

Lauren's body reacted just watching Bo stretch, her stomach exposed as she moved. Her eyes skated over Bo, following the trail of her bare skin. Her eyes caught on one side of Bo's lower back, only visible because she was reaching up, and twisting her body.

"What's that?" Lauren gestured to her back.

Bo glanced at her, her long hair in sexy disarray, and then twisted to search her skin. She found the spot and frowned down at it.

"Bo." Lauren prompted when she remained quiet. She knew it was a bruise, and her mind flicked through all the possibilities as to the cause. "Did you get hurt during a workout?"

Bo shook her head, her eyes on Lauren. "No. I got it while arresting a suspect." She smiled and opted for a joke. "All in a day's work."

"Oh," Lauren stood from the table, the legs of her chair scraping against the wooden floor, and walked to the coffee maker. She was very aware of the violence of Bo's job, but it still bothered her when she was faced with the reality of it.

"Don't be upset," Bo spoke to Lauren's back. Lauren didn't miss the desperate hint to her voice. "It was nothing." Her arms quickly came around Lauren's waist, and she pressed her front to Lauren's back.

Without facing her, Lauren poured herself a cup of coffee and asked, "Why didn't you tell me last night?" She felt guilty that she had been too engrossed in her own lust to even notice that Bo was injured the previous night while they made love.

Bo placed a light kiss on Lauren's shoulder. "I didn't want to worry you."

Lauren swallowed hard, her heart sinking a little. What Bo did every day was dangerous, and she worried about her every time she had to go to work. She couldn't lose her. She couldn't face that. If Bo died, she would die too. She knew she would. Perhaps her need of Bo was worrisome, made her weak, but she didn't care. She truly was weak for Bo. She always would be.

"You put your life on the line every day, and I can't help but worry about you. I want you to tell me everything that happens to you. When you get injured, I need to know that."

"Okay," Bo said quietly. "My line of work isn't always safe, we both know that. But I never take crazy risks. Not anymore. I don't do anything with flippant disregard for my wife."

Turning to face Bo, Lauren pulled her into her arms, because she needed to touch her. She lifted her chin and whispered against her ear. "Good because I'm a complete mess without you. I need you with me. Alive."

Bo's mouth compressed and her eyes moved between Lauren's, a flicker of understanding behind her expression. Her arms came around her, and she held Lauren to her with a tight, possessive embrace. "I get it now."

Lauren eyed Bo curiously. "What?"

"Why you don't want to talk about kids. You're afraid I might leave you behind. Alone to raise our child…"

"I'm twenty-nine years old. I'm too young to think about babies." Lauren interrupted, her tone clipped and annoyed. She felt uncomfortable now that the baby discussion was under the spotlight, again. "I don't know if children will be in our future. I have no clue, and I don't really want even to think about that for a long while." She explained dodging the point Bo was trying to make.

"I just get concerned when I feel like you are bottling things up." Bo heaved a sigh with a searching gaze concentrated on Lauren. "Like I just think talking about children is something most married couples do at some point. If you have fears about my job and our future, let's talk about it."

With a huff, Lauren turned back to her coffee, dumping creamer into it. "I want to focus on our careers, and us right now, and maybe in a few years we can discuss the baby thing."

Bo had learned one essential thing over the course of their almost decade-long relationship; it was to pick her battles with Lauren because their greatest commodity was time together. She also knew Lauren sometimes needed time to think things over on her own without her pushing.

She smiled and pressed her nose into Lauren's neck. "Okay. Sounds good. We'll just continue to take care of each other. That's all I need."

With the topic dropped and all the tension gone, Lauren fixed them a quick breakfast. Bo strode away from Lauren and settled into the kitchen nook. Between the smell of coffee and the sight of Lauren all gorgeous and domesticated, Bo relaxed and enjoyed their quiet morning. Briefly, she considered how different the scene would be if they had a baby to care for, or a toddler running around. As she thought about life with children, she imagined it would be a study in delayed everything, delayed conversations, delayed gratification, delayed quiet time together as the child's needs would always come first. And she wasn't certain she could deal with any of those kinds of delays. Then, fleetingly she thought about how she had felt watching Lauren with Marshall, and smiled despite herself.

A beep of her phone snapped her out of her reverie. It was an email from the district attorney's office about the date she was set to testify on a big case she had closed months ago. She hated testifying, but it was an important part of her job, a fundamental part of the process. It was a high-profile case, and she made a mental note to review the case file when she got to the station and brush up on the details.

"Hey," Lauren said, carrying their food to the table. "Something wrong?"

Bo clicked off her phone and smiled up at Lauren. "No. Doug Reed's court date is coming up, and I'm supposed to testify in a few days."

Lauren cringed, remembering how Bo had almost been killed arresting him. He had shot at Bo, but luckily she had been wearing a bulletproof vest at the time. But that fact didn't make the situation any less terrifying for Lauren.

The Reed family owned a chain of sporting good stores, and the whole family was constantly surrounded by scandal. And Doug Reed, the eldest son, was a real piece of shit, and as it turned out a murderer. The case had been in the press for months, and no doubt the trial would be heavily covered. Bo, the daughter of a well-respected senator, was always of great interest to the media when she was involved in a high-profile case. She knew Bo hated that, her family name always made her actions scrutinized more severely, and Bo only wanted to do her job without the added pressure.

Lauren forced a smile and pushed away all her negative thoughts. "Well, you'll do great, you always do."

Bo stabbed her fork into a piece of fruit. "I just hope all the evidence is enough. He has like five lawyers working on his defense."

Wanting to move the moment away from the heavy topic, Lauren redoubled her effort to smile and leaned over, giving Bo a quick kiss. "Don't worry. You know that case inside and out."

Lauren's confidence in her smooth some of Bo's nerves about the trial, and she smiled gratefully back at her wife.

After that, they ate together in peaceful silence, but their morning together was over in a flash, as both had to rush off to work.

At the door, Lauren rested her forehead against Bo's. "Be safe," She whispered against Bo's lips. "I love you."

"I love you more," Bo whispered back, before giving her a quick kiss.

Lauren stepped back and slung her bag over her shoulder. "No way."

Bo locked the door and spun back to face Lauren. "No, darling, it's true."

Lauren backed away from Bo to head to her car. Her smile was immense as a rush of emotions pushed into her. Even when it was hard, even through all the trials and tribulations, sometimes marriage to Bo was incredible, and it was always the small moments that reminded her of that fact.

 **XXXXX**

 **AN**

 **As I started to write my bonus chapter for BBB I was struck with an idea for a longer fic, so I decided to do a full sequel. I guess I don't want to retire, yet.**

 **No fear this story will be cheating free.**

 **Thanks for reading :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN**

 **This chapter is rated M for sexy times. Just a little warning.**

XXXXX

Bo was having a dream, a wonderful dream. As Lauren invaded her dreams, doing things with her mouth that forced noises of desire out of her throat, she moved against the pleasure, Lauren was giving her.

She didn't want to wake up, but as soon as she thought about it, she started to wake. She had expected the pleasurable feelings to go away. But it didn't. It kept going, and intensified, as she realized Lauren was under the covers actually doing those things to her.

"Mmm," She whispered, as she lifted the sheet to see Lauren down there.

"Morning, babe," She moaned, and Lauren looked up and winked at her, not stopping with her efforts.

She put her hand on Lauren's head and stroked her hair, gently lifting herself against Lauren in rhythm until she felt her breath hitch.

"Great morning I'd say," Bo said, lightly stroking Lauren's cheek with her thumb as she watched Lauren with dreamy eyes hazed over with lust.

Gazing up at Bo, Lauren licked her. A slow, silky lap of her tongue over Bo's slit. Bo skimmed her thumb along Lauren's cheek to the edge of her lip as her mouth moved against Bo's flesh.

Lauren settled herself more comfortably between Bo's spread legs, and lost herself in the taste and smell of Bo, breathing her in as she kept exploring with single-minded focus. She let Bo's responses guide her, and when she whispered her name in reverent want, she alternated between fast and hard to slow and torturous strokes.

Bo's hips lifted, pressing herself closer to that wonderful mouth. Lauren caught her clit in her mouth, circled with her tongue once, twice, more. The pleasure switched from amazing to almost unbearable, making her nearly fevered with the need to come.

Lauren squeezed Bo's thighs, and Bo came in harsh, breathy pants against Lauren's mouth, the sublime bliss consumed every part of her making her toes curl.

"I love when you wake me up like that." Bo breathed out, feeling remarkably winded and satisfied. She stretched her arms above her and yawned, her body rippled from her orgasmic high. "I give you top marks in cunnilingus, my love. Bonus points for the surprise wake up."

Lauren grinned and crawled up Bo's body, letting Bo savor the sweet aftermath of her orgasm instead of immediately seeking her own.

Through hooded eyes, Bo looked at Lauren and her hands slid to Lauren's bottom to pull her close. "Seriously. A million gold stars."

Lauren barked out a laugh, and then licked her lips, tasting Bo there.

"So what are your plans today?"

Briefly, Lauren pressed her cheek into Bo's chest, relishing the feel of her against her skin. "I'm working at the clinic most of the day." She said, resting her chin between the valley of Bo's breasts while gazing up at her.

Bo lightly stroked Lauren's back. "I'm working late, but I should be home for dinner. Late dinner at least."

Pulling up, so she hovered over Bo, completely naked, Lauren frowned down at Bo. "Do you think we should stage an intervention for Tamsin?"

Bo bit her lip, struggling not to laugh at Lauren's serious expression, and unprompted mention of Tamsin.

"She could do so much better than Evony. Well, she certainly couldn't do any worse." Lauren found herself inadvertently spouting as she moved her hands up to cup her breasts, realizing her nakedness.

Bo propped herself up on her elbows, but Lauren didn't move from straddling her. "I don't think Tamsin is looking at Evony in any big-picture scenario." She searched Lauren's face, which was spotlit by the morning light, her cheeks were rosy, and her hair fell disheveled around her face, making her look extremely sexy. "What's your fixation with those two anyway?"

Lauren exhaled a harsh breath and turned defensive. Bo was being kind of argumentative in the face of her very sound judgment, and rational concern. "I know Evony. I worked with her for years. She's an opportunist. She kissed me when I was with you! Are you suggesting we just sit back and not say anything?"

Bo watched Lauren with an amused smile. It was hard for her to take the discussion serious when Lauren was tantalizingly naked above her, sitting on her while she was also naked.

"It's not our business. We shouldn't get involved. Plus, I think you're being paranoid."

"I'm not paranoid! She's our friend, and blind infatuation could leave her vulnerable." Impatience permeated the words as she glared down at Bo.

Bo fell back against the pillow in surrender as Lauren got more worked up. "I'll talk to Tamsin, okay?"

Smiling in victory Lauren let her hands fall away from her bare breasts. "Thank you."

Pleased that the discussion was settled, Bo slid her hands over the backs of Lauren's thighs, pulling her forward. "Now can we finish what you started? This party is only fun when everyone comes."

XXXXX

Tamsin was grumpy and late for work. She had refused to spend the night with Evony, and now she was going to pay for the lack of sleep. Four hours of rest. That was all she had managed to get after leaving Evony's house. Maybe sleeping at Evony's would have been a better idea after all? Scratch that, no, she discarded that thought almost immediately. She didn't want to go down that road. Sleeping over was crossing a line with their relationship, she didn't want to take. Their current arrangement was perfect, lots of sex without any of the messy romantic entanglements. The foster homes she'd lived in all her life had taught her that the only person she could rely on was herself. Sure, she had a nice group of friends now, but investing in a romantic relationship was just a step too far.

She made haste to get into the station, but tripped as she pushed opened the door, but luckily her coffee remained unspoiled in her hand. She cursed under her breath as she hurried to her desk.

She was surprised to see Bo hovering around her workspace holding a brown paper bag.

"Morning," Bo said handing her the bag with a suspicious smile on her face.

"What's happened?" Tamsin asked, looking at her questioningly.

Bo picked up her coffee cup off Tamsin's desk. "Happened?"

Tamsin peeked inside the bag, finding it filled with different types of bagels. "You only bring me breakfast when something bad has happened."

"Nothing. That's the problem," Bo huffed with frustration. "We've found nothing. Hale's breathing down my neck, and I've got nada. Nothing solid at least, a new witness to question, but really I'm not feeling it. I hate when I have a case I can't solve. Plus, he straddled me with that rookie…"

While Bo rambled on, Tamsin took her first bite of her bagel and sank into food nirvana. Bo had forgotten to bring her cream cheese, but she thought it would be rude to point that out. It was a free breakfast after all.

"…forensics is understaffed, so they have their hands full processing evidence…"

Bo broke off her rant and shifted to the real reason she wanted to speak to Tamsin. "I've been getting an ear full from my wife about your relationship with Evony. Tell me you're okay, so I can tell Lauren not to worry."

Tamsin coughed her surprise. Bagel sprayed on her desk, and she covered her mouth with her hand. Her eyes widened as she turned uncomfortable at the abrupt shift in topic, especially since it was about her sex life. "I wouldn't really call it a relationship." She mumbled out around her full mouth.

Bo laughed and rubbed her thumb against the cup she held. "It's none of my business, but my wife is relentless. She thinks Evony is some kind of she-devil or something, and you're like some innocent kitten that she needs to protect."

Tamsin burst out laughing until she started coughing. Her eyes were watering by the time she caught her breath. She knew Evony had some personality flaws, but the fact was she was really, truly gorgeous, and Tamsin was very attracted to her. The first time they had touched she felt that zip of sexual chemistry, and she knew she was in trouble. And they both were looking for the same thing, sex and nothing more. It was perfect, so far.

Bo didn't laugh, only narrowed her eyes at her as Tamsin collected herself. "If you're going to act weird it's going to make me concerned. You know, Lauren, once she gets something in her head she doesn't let it go." She pointed at her own chest. "And I'm the one that has to hear about it. And I really don't want to hear about it anymore."

"Yeah," Tamsin said, purposefully munching on her food and avoiding the scary level of scrutiny Bo had on her. "I just don't like kissing and telling."

"Well, to be fair, when you kiss in front of a room full of people, you're kind of telling."

Squirming under Bo's gaze, Tamsin felt like she wanted to huddle in a corner mortified. She sucked on her coffee noisily as she stalled.

"What does Lauren have against Evony? Whatever it is, it seems more personal than professional. She's an excellent surgeon. Sure, she's harsh, but she's ambitious, which is often mistaken for ruthlessness…..but, to me, it's an indication of her passion…"

That made Bo laugh. She had been a cop long enough to recognize the signs that someone was hiding something. "You like her. Like in a relationship way."

Tamsin looked stunned, both at herself and with Bo's words. "What! No…"

Hale snapped his fingers to get Bo's attention from across the room. He was leaning against his office door, looking impatient. "Dennis, I need a minute."

Bo sat her coffee down and glanced at Tamsin. "You're good. I can tell Lauren not to worry?"

With her mouth full of bagel, Tamsin could do nothing but nod and watch Bo walk away.

XXXXX

"So, let me get this straight," Tara said as she poked her fork into a piece of spinach salad. "Evony offered you a job?"

They were having lunch at a new place that had recently opened near the clinic Lauren worked at. Lauren didn't usually take a break during her work hours, but Tara had been adamant about wanting to have lunch with her, and Lauren had agreed.

"Yes. Sometimes, I do miss working at the hospital. There's an energy there that's lacking at the clinic."

"Is she still in lust with you?" Tara asked, looking at her food in disgust before eyeing Lauren's untouched fries.

"How would I know?" Lauren muttered, taking a quick sip of her water.

Tara chuckled at that and stole one of Lauren's fries. "You're purposefully blind to her lusty eyes, you always have been." She snagged another one before pointing it at Lauren. "It's one of your avoidance techniques. You did the same thing with Jules."

Lauren glared at her for a second, and then sighed at her friend's no-BS policy. It was one of the reasons they were friends, as Lauren knew she needed someone to call her out at times, but her bluntness sometimes irritated Lauren. She liked to latch on to Lauren's personal life and take it apart piece by piece.

"In order to cope with your cold, neglectful parents, you learned to control your feelings, you shut down and keep them buried deep inside. It's not your fault, you got the short end of the stick on that front, but you tend to evade problems without facing them head on." Tara pushed away her salad and pulled Lauren's plate to her. She wasn't eating anyway, why would she care. "Wasn't that what caused the infamous break? You bottled up your issues with Bo until one day it all just burst out of you. Old habits die hard. Avoid and hide are your default settings."

"Lovely," Lauren stared at her glass and ran a finger around the rim. "I didn't know I was scheduled for a psych evaluation today. Weirdly, I thought this was a lunch with my friend."

"Don't be offended; I say all this with love. I believe you don't want to face thirsty Evony because you're attracted to her also, which scares you, so you pretend to be oblivious." Tara volleyed back, taking a sip of her soda. "Boy do you ever have a type. Nadia, Bo, Evony…"

"Bo is nothing like Nadia or Evony. Don't insult my wife." Lauren snapped, her anger bubbling up. She couldn't believe that Tara would have the audacity to compare Bo to Nadia or even Evony.

Tara lifted a shoulder, undeterred by Lauren's anger. "Maybe not now, but back then? Just admit you like the bad girls, and that's why Jules never interested you. She was too nice, too boring. You need the sizzle that comes with a little danger. You like to be chased. Think about it. All three pursued you in some way."

Lauren's fingers clenched around her glass. "Irrelevant. I'm married to Bo, remember? I definitely don't think about other women like that. I only ever want Bo."

"Oh, honey you really believe that?"

Lauren's jaw slackened, and Tara added. "Just remember you're human. It's okay to be married and find other people attractive. It's the acting on that attraction that's the problem."

Lauren tapped her foot; sometimes her friend was like a dog with a bone. "You don't know what you're talking about. I really, really dislike Evony."

"But," Tara gestured her glass at Lauren, "There's a fine line between hate and lust."

Lauren took a swallow of water. A big one. "I'm not taking the job. Not because I want to sleep with her, but because I have a job I like."

XXXXXX

With her head down, Lauren bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at her elderly female patient, who sat perched up on an exam table during a routine visit.

Even after nearly a month of working at the private clinic, Lauren still wasn't use to the casual manner of her patients. In the first ten minutes, she'd been in the examination room, Lauren had learned more about her and her family than was really necessary for a monthly checkup.

After completing her residency and working in research for three years, where she rarely saw a patient, Lauren decided to switch jobs and got hired immediately at a private clinic. Research was gradual and slow work, but very important, and she had missed working with patients in a hands-on way. Working at the clinic was a good fit, allowing her the opportunity to keep doing research and a chance to work with the public.

Despite the long hours, and demanding patients, Lauren loved being a doctor. For her, it wasn't a job, but a calling. Being a doctor satisfied her in a fundamental way that she couldn't put into words.

Lauren opened her chart to get her bearings on her case and began reading her medical history. She tried to focus as Mrs. Dawson chatted along with several more verbal detours and anecdotes about her children and husband. The lively woman had been admitted several times to the hospital with crippling joint pain, but she seemed to be in good spirits that day.

"My son and his wife are expecting any day now. Although, it's really no wonder, with the way those two go at it, like bunnies I tell ya. But I am proud to say, my husband, Sam, and I are the same way."

Lauren nodded along but didn't look up from the chart. Sometimes, it was best to avoid eye contact with her more unfiltered patients to remain focused on her task.

"Do you have any children, Dr. Lewis?"

There was the children question again. It seemed to be a running theme as of late. As if there wasn't much else a woman her age would want in life than to find a partner and procreate. She was satisfied with her life, and didn't really feel like having children was a priority, at least not for a long, long time. With Marshall and Kenzi's baby, she would get to experience all the benefits of having kids around without any of the responsibility or investment. And the more people pushed her toward children, the less she wanted it.

Lauren shook her head, keeping her attention on the chart. "No children." She flipped through the pages. "Are you in any discomfort, Mrs. Dawson?"

Her overly curious patient ignored her question. "Why? What's wrong with you? Is something wrong with your equipment down there?"

With that brazen question, Lauren looked up. "There's nothing the matter with me." She said, uncomfortable talking about her personal life with a patient. It was highly inappropriate. The awkward conversation was making her twitchy.

Mrs. Dawson pressed her lips together, and Lauren braced for another question. And then finally she blurted out. "Are you married? A beautiful doctor like you must be married."

Lauren squinted and crossed her lab coat-clad arms. "I am very happily married." She answered, and then pivoted back to the check-up. "Do you take any medications?" She asked, trying to sound respectful but authoritative.

"At my age?" Mrs. Dawson laughed and placed her hand on her chest. "Oh, yes, a fair few." She fished around in her purse before producing an index card and handing it over to Lauren.

Seconds later, Fiona, the new cheerful, medical assistant, popped her head in the door. "All ready to get your blood work, Deb." Fiona opened the door completely and motioned for Mrs. Dawson to come with her.

Lauren helped her off the exam table. "Just remember dear, your eggs deteriorate exponentially as you age. Don't drag your feet too long." She said, patting Lauren's arm.

Lauren gaped at her but refrained from commenting.

Mrs. Dawson shuffled passed Lauren and walked out the door. Fiona's sky-blue eyes watched Lauren, and she leaned a hip against the door to keep it open. "Do you need anything else, Dr. Lewis?"

Lauren made a few notes in the patient file, not turning to face her. "No, thank you. I'm good here."

Fiona's face glowed at Lauren before she shut the door behind her, leaving Lauren alone to wait for her next patient.

Lauren closed the patient chart and crossed the room to put it in the cupboard. As she checked her schedule, she pulled out her vibrating cell phone from her pocket, assuming it was Bo. But when she swiped a finger over the screen to read the message, she saw that it was a text from Evony.

" _I hope you haven't forgotten about my job offer."_

Lauren quickly typed out a response. "Is there a way I could rephrase 'No' to be clearer? What about hell no."

Seconds later, her phone flashed again with another text.

" _No, you were quite clear with your word choice, but I'm persistent. Winning over a woman takes time, and thankfully I don't have a fragile ego."_

Lauren's fingers hesitated over the keyboard before countering. "A smart woman would cut her losses after the first rejection."

" _Where's the fun in that?"_

Lauren left it at that, knowing if she responded again Evony would inevitably pull her into a lengthy back and forth. She wondered if Bo happened to read her texts, would she think she was flirting with Evony, or encouraging her. She debated deleting the texts but chose not to. She wasn't flirting; she was only declining a job offer. Just to be safe, she decided to ignore any more texts or emails from Evony going forward.

XXXXX

At home, Lauren sat on the carpet and rested her computer in her lap. She always did her work on the living room floor. It was where she thought best. She flipped on the television to watch the news as she worked.

The crowd went crazy, screaming and clapping loudly, and throwing Dennis banners into the air.

"Welcome!" Harvey Dennis' voice boomed through the television speakers. "It's good to be back home. Nice to be back with my wonderful constituents and every single one of my supporters."

Lauren dropped her head to look at her laptop, still listening to the speech.

"When I was first elected to serve as a member of the Senate," There was a dramatic pause. "…many years ago, back when I had a few less gray hairs," The crowd chuckled at his statement, feeding into his charms. "you bestowed on me your support and your trust. You believed in me every time I said that I was going to take your beliefs and ideas to Congress. And the only way I can continue to do that is to win another term…"

The crowd cheered uproariously, and Lauren glanced up to see Harvey's handsome, smiling face as he took in the applauses. He seemed to own the crowd, standing before them with confidence and power.

"We have an interesting battle coming up, but if Mr. Clayton Re-"

Lauren heard the front door open and clicked off the television, silencing the remainder of Harvey's speech.

As Bo stood in the kitchen removing her gun, and then her shoes she called out to Lauren.

Bo went to the safe where she locked up her weapon when she was off duty. She lifted her head and saw Lauren smiling at her. She pressed her thumb into the pad to secure her gun. "Before you ask. Yes, I talked to Tamsin, and she seems okay." She snorted a laugh and shook her head. "I think she likes Evony. Crazy as that sounds."

"I don't care."

Bo studied her and tilted her head. "You don't? I thought…" She started hesitantly. She was curious about what changed Lauren's mind. Sometimes, her wife confused the hell out of her.

Lauren's eyes went warm, and she took a half step closer to Bo. "You were right."

"I was?" Bo asked, arching her eyebrows.

Lauren took more steps until she was right in front of Bo. "It's none of our business. Let those two figure it out for themselves."

Bo shrugged. "Fine by me. I never wanted to get involved in the first place."

"I'm sorry," Lauren stated without preamble.

"And what could you have possibly done, beautiful?"

Lauren realized she was wringing her hands and quickly dropped them to her sides. "Evony's been texting me. And, well, I mean, I know what she's like, and I feel guilty that I might have been enabling her inappropriate flirting. I didn't even realize I was doing it."

"I trust you," Bo said, kissing Lauren on the lips quick. She smiled when she drew back. "What is she texting you, like asking you to sleep with her or something? Sending you nudes? Tit pics?"

Lauren laughed and shook her head. "No, nothing like that. I just didn't want you to think I was keeping something from you. I told her I wasn't going to take the job, and I don't plan on interacting with her again. We're not friends; there's no reason to. You mean everything to me, and I don't want any misunderstandings to ruin the best thing in my life."

Bo searched Lauren's face. She seemed to feel guiltier than the situation merited, there was no way a few silly texts could ruin anything between them. "If you say, it's nothing. Then it means nothing. It's that simple."

Lauren said nothing else. Instead, her palm slipped around the small of Bo's back, barely giving her a chance to react before she tugged her into her body.

And then she kissed her.

XXXXX

Clothes already removed, Bo lifted Lauren from the ground and carried her into their bedroom. Lauren looped her arms and legs around Bo and scattered kisses everywhere she could reach as Bo slowly walked them through the house.

Embracing the passion that blazed between them, Bo paused in the doorway of the bedroom and let Lauren kiss her while she held Lauren's backside. They stood there gloriously naked in their dark room for a long moment, kissing each other deeply.

Lauren felt so damn good in her arms. So perfect. Loving the way Lauren's hot center pressed against her bare skin, Bo's core pulsed at the thought of what was coming next.

Bo felt Lauren smiling against her mouth, all cute and eager. Bracing her hands on Bo's shoulder Lauren stroked herself against Bo in anticipation, which prompted Bo to intensify her hold on her, her fingers digging into Lauren's backside as she widened her stance. Lauren's head fell back, and Bo promptly ran her tongue up the column of her throat.

Already wet with desire, Lauren's tongue stroked the seam of Bo's lips before tangling her tongue with Bo's, flooding her with Bo's taste again.

When Bo tilted her head just enough to take the kiss deeper, Lauren moaned into her mouth, always the sweetest sound Bo could ever hear, and she could practically orgasm on that sound alone.

Lauren's body was a tense, straining, beautiful, aching thing. She pressed harder, rubbing herself against Bo's skin.

Bo's body twitched impatiently, so she walked backward to the huge bed that rested in the middle of the room. As soon as the backs of Bo's legs tapped against the edge of the mattress, they went down. She wasn't sure if Lauren pushed against her or she pulled, but it didn't really matter.

Lauren maneuvered her lower body, so it was pressed hard between Bo's thighs. When Bo's greedy hands slid slowly up her sides, her fingertips caressing each rib, one by one, Lauren's desire ratcheted up a notch or two. Her body quivered, hot and aching, and she grazed her mouth across Bo's neck, pressing, licking just a little, lavishing her skin with attention.

Bo exhaled heavily and cleared her throat. "Kiss me."

Lauren braced herself above her, her hair covering both of them. She dipped her head and lowered her mouth to Bo's, enthusiastically obeying her request. She sought Bo's tongue with her own, smiling in gratification when Bo groaned and dragged her closer. Using her body weight Lauren pushed against Bo, her nipples brushed lightly against Bo's skin.

Giving Bo's body what it craved, Lauren's fingers briefly brushed up against the sensitive skin between Bo's legs. But only briefly, just enough to torture her. In response, Bo nipped Lauren's bottom lip, and then licked it soothingly.

Lauren then moved to explore her way back to Bo's neck, making her shiver. Bo's breathing came fast, pants of eagerness for Lauren's touch. "Touch me again," Her voice was throaty and strained.

Then Lauren's lips left her neck, and her fingers traced lazy circles over her stomach. It was all so good. So erotic. But not enough. Wanting a little control over the situation, Bo arched her back and spread her legs wider. Offering herself to Lauren.

Lauren knew Bo was growing restless, but she refused to hurry wanting to tease her to an almost breathless state. She used the backs of her fingers on the inside of Bo's thighs. Her fingers stroked back and forth, barely touching her, each time inching closer to Bo's center.

Again and again, Lauren repeated the motion, not touching where Bo desperately wanted. Determined to make her wait, she continued the slow process at the delicate crease of Bo's inner thighs.

Bo swallowed, feeling dazed with Lauren's teasing. "Please." The words were choked and pleading.

Lauren's knuckles skimmed up, finally touching Bo where she wanted. She ran one knuckle over Bo, tracing her from her clit down to her damp opening, and then back up again.

Bo helplessly whimpered her name.

Lauren smiled playfully as she repeated the light, teasing motion. "You mean like this?" She asked, moving two fingers slowly in and out.

Bo's stomach muscles were constricted in answer, her breath hitching in her throat. "Yes," She said, her voice suddenly high-pitched when Lauren thrust her fingers inside again, a little harder that time.

Lauren glided her fingers out, with her eyes pinned on Bo, reading her needs. When Bo licked her bottom lip, Lauren slowly pushed them back into her.

Desire tugged Bo's eyes closed, feeling an orgasm swelling in her stomach. She wouldn't last long. It felt too good. Lauren's fingers were hitting just the right spot over and over again.

With her other hand, Lauren caressed Bo's breast, massaging it, loving the weight and feel of it beneath her palm. Bo's breast always drove her crazy. Really, she loved every inch of Bo's body. She was all curves, smooth, hips exactly right, perfect, full breasts, all woman. Her body was toned from regular workouts, but not overly so, her training only served to maintain and define her curves. She was pure fantasy material, but she wasn't a fantasy she was real, and Lauren's.

Tenderly, Lauren kissed Bo's jaw and tongued her ear, breathing hotly against her skin. "I love you, Bo Dennis." She whispered her lips grazing over Bo's ear. She pulled her fingers out and circled her clit in idle, circular motions. Her fingers lingered on her clit before moving downward, sliding back in with perfect friction.

Bo could only moan, moving and writhing on Lauren's hand, wanting more.

Just when Bo thought she couldn't take more, Lauren took her to the next level, her lips closed around Bo's overly sensitive nipple. She let out a long cry as Lauren's tongue lapped gently at the tight peak, and she spread her fingers inside of her and pushed deeper.

With her own body tight with need, Lauren moaned against her breast just as Bo pushed her left leg between Lauren's thighs.

Bo shifted her leg up and down, and the friction of Bo's muscular leg against her caused Lauren's breath to come out in soft, shallow puffs.

Lauren rubbed herself against Bo; her dampness spread across Bo's skin as she rode her leg. As Lauren's breathing picked up, Bo's hand slid to Lauren's hips, and she rocked her back and forth on her hard leg.

Soon the sounds of sex, paired with their whimpering moans, filled the room. Perspiration slickened their bodies as they moved against one another.

Bo's lips parted, and Lauren's name froze in her throat as the tingles in her stomach erupted, and she came.

Lauren scanned Bo's face, watching her satisfaction, reveling in her surrender to the oblivion of passion as a fresh rush of moisture coated her hand.

As Bo recovered, Lauren slid over Bo's leg in earnest. Her mind went blank with pleasure as she was caught in the beginnings of her own orgasm.

Belatedly, Bo opened her eyes and gazed up at Lauren, watching her lose control. A slow smile spread over her lips, knowing she was the master of Lauren's pleasure intoxicated Bo with an intense sense of power, but at the same time humbled her.

Lauren's hand came to Bo's jaw and guided her mouth to hers, and they kissed while Bo worked her leg against Lauren's hot, needy flesh. She palmed Lauren's backside with both of her hands and squeezed. In response, Lauren lifted up before slowly moving over her again. She repeated the motion, even slower, Bo's leg giving her continuous friction against her clit. Her perfect, small breasts bounced enticingly as she slid up and down Bo's leg in jerky movements.

Bo ran her hands up Lauren's body, her fingertips tracing over the indentations and curves of her stomach muscles. Slowly, her hands moved up, covering her breasts. Her thumb drifted over a nipple, and Lauren moaned, and arched, wanting more. Bo captured her nipple between her thumb and forefinger, slowly rolling it. The sight of Lauren mesmerized her, the expanse of her soft, damp skin, her parted lips, and the little frown on her face.

And then, Bo surprised Lauren by flipping her over. Hard, her back met the mattress, and her eyes met Bo's. She stared down at Lauren, her eyes were steady, hot, expectant, watchful. Positioning herself over Lauren, her knee pressed against Lauren's slippery entrance, grinding into her. Lauren shifted her hips, needing more friction, drowning in bliss. She moaned Bo's name, a sweet, breathy sigh that sent heat skittering over Bo's body, and she continued to move against her.

Bo watched her face carefully, and she could feel Lauren was close, so she shifted herself up, positioning her knee between her thighs, her hands pressing into the mattress on either side of Lauren. She grounded her knee into Lauren, giving her more pressure and increasing her tempo.

One more hard stroke sent Lauren's sex aflame, and she was done. Her body clenched, her hips rocking against Bo's leg as her chest rose and fell with her breaths. Bo grinned and intercepted her breaths with a kiss. Lauren wrapped her arms around Bo's neck, savoring her kiss and the way her mouth mastered hers as her body still burned from her climax.

They stayed like that, liberally touching each other's bodies, kissing for a long time as they both came slowly back to earth. Bo could stay there for days in a happy sexually sated fog, and not think about anything else, but she knew her wife needed to sleep, and really so did she.

The lovers broke apart and collapsed onto the bed. They held each other silently for a few minutes. The only sounds in the bedroom were their ragged breaths slowing.

"You feel good," Bo said, gifting Lauren a warm, lazy smile, and looking deeply into her eyes.

"So do you," Lauren said, stroking Bo's bottom before she cupped it tight. She slid her hand up to Bo's breast, twirling her fingertips around Bo's nipple. "I love your body."

Bo kissed her softly on the lips and murmured against her mouth. "You took the words right out of my mouth."

Bo pulled back, and they stretched out face-to-face, silly smiles on both their faces. Bo threaded her fingers through Lauren's hair. Wordlessly, they looked at each other, residual traces of their smiles fading with each passing moment. As Bo continued to play with her hair, Lauren's breathing changed and her eyes drifted shut. Bo cradled Lauren and watched her sleep until her own eyes blinked closed and she fell into deep, contented sleep.

 **XXXXX**

 **AN**

 **Next up: The unexpected event alluded to in the story description.**

 **Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	3. Chapter 3

Bo forced her eyes open and kicked back the covers. She climbed out of bed, still naked, and rushed to the bathroom. After finishing her morning pee, she brushed her teeth and splashed cold water on her face.

Looking in the mirror, she cracked her neck and stretched her arms. Her body was sore from the strenuous workouts she'd been doing lately. She wanted to stay on the top of her game. There was no way she wanted to be seen as the woman who couldn't hack it. As a female in law enforcement, it was important that she not only performed as well as her male colleagues but better.

She walked to her closet for a T-shirt and sweatpants and then walked through the silent house to the kitchen. Lauren was already gone, having left for work at five am that morning, leaving her alone in the house.

After making her coffee, she stepped out onto the front porch, sipping it slowly, while the neighborhood came alive around her. They lived in a residential, trendy neighborhood, and she mostly loved it, but at times she missed living in the city. She gave a little wave to her neighbor as he pulled his truck out of the garage.

She tilted her head back and enjoyed the summer sun, but her mind drifted to work. She felt like she was losing her touch. She didn't have any solid leads on her new case. In a few hours, she was going to question a witness, but she had no hunches about it. And, a drug addicted, old hooker wasn't the most reliable witness, not to a jury anyway.

Lately, her nerves were constantly on edge, and she spent so much time thinking about one case she didn't want to think about. Doug Reed was a monster that needed to be held accountable for what he'd done, and it was her job to stand up in court and help make sure that happened. She just had a weird feeling about the trial, and without the certainty that the case was locked up, she felt uneasy. His attorneys had something planned, she would bet her pension on it.

With all the stresses of her job, she wouldn't feel sorry for herself, not when everything else in her life was so great.

Bo loved Lauren, and she always would no matter what. Loving Lauren was effortless; desiring Lauren was easy. That part was so uncomplicated, so simple. But love and sex would never be enough on its own, not without open communication, mutual respect, trust, and lots of effort.

Marriage seemed to always be a work in progress, a breathing thing as multifaceted as the two people within it. And there was no such thing as a happily ever after, life just continued after the 'I dos'.

But Bo had learned that just showing up and supporting each other in a million different tiny ways added up and were massively important. More than anything it was consistency. Giving the other space when it was needed, forgiveness when it was asked for. Being open to change, and pushing each other to improve. She was a cop, and her first instinct would always be to protect and take charge, but in a marriage, she'd learned, it was important to know when to lead, and when to fall back and follow. All that and more was the key to a healthy and long-lasting relationship.

It could be hard, though she wouldn't trade it for the world, wouldn't change a single part of the life they had made together.

Feeling better, Bo walked back into the house to get ready for work.

XXXXX

Kenzi came into the clinic for a monthly check-up. Since she was family, Lauren couldn't be her doctor, but that didn't prevent her from sneaking into the exam room for a quick visit. And since both Bo and Hale were working, Lauren wanted to be there for Kenzi during her appointment.

After a rough start, Lauren and Kenzi had developed a friendly relationship. And their connection as the wives of cops had brought them even closer over the years. It was like an exclusive club that they were both members of, they understood one another's worries and greatest fears.

With a giant smile, Kenzi carefully reclined her body and adjusted her stretchy pants so that her belly was exposed.

The ultrasound technician squeezed some gel onto Kenzi's stomach.

"That's cold!" Kenzi gasped, giving the technician a hard glare.

"Sorry." She said with a gentle tone, moving the wand to her stomach.

"It's fine. Now let's get a look at my baby girl," Kenzi merrily exclaimed.

"You already know the sex?" Lauren asked, hovering behind the technician.

Kenzi sucked in a quick breath as the technician moved the wand over her stomach. "Not technically, but I just know."

When the image of Kenzi's belly appeared on the monitor, she stared at the indistinguishable gray shapes. The whoosh-whoosh sound of the baby's heartbeat through amniotic fluid filled the room.

The tech made notes and used her mouse to click different areas on the image displayed, pointing out different body parts.

"I don't see anything that resembles a human person," Kenzi stated, squinting at the screen. "What are you seeing? Are you sure it's human?"

The technician moved the wand over her stomach, and Lauren pointed to the screen. "See, that's the spine."

Kenzi teared up as she saw the distinct and unmistakable spine of her baby. "I see it, and she's perfect."

After the tech finished up with all the measurements and still shots, including one that was a profile of the face, Lauren narrowed her eyes on the screen. "Hmmm."

"I see it too." The technician moved the wand around to get a better look.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Kenzi asked, her voice had an edge of fear to it.

Lauren sidestepped the ultrasound machine and reached for Kenzi's hand, giving it a little squeeze. "There's nothing wrong; it's just…"

"You're having a boy." The tech finished for Lauren.

Kenzi propped herself up on her elbows. "What? That has to be a mistake. I know I'm having a girl."

The tech answered before Lauren could. "You'll do great with a boy. His weight and length are right where they should be, and he's growing well."

Kenzi nodded and sank back to the table. "I just really wanted a girl. I don't know the first thing about raising a little boy."

Lauren smiled at Kenzi. Boy or girl, both seemed just as equally challenging to her. She didn't understand why the sex of the child should matter, but that kind of thing was sometimes important to expecting parents.

"Your husband should be pleased, right? You know, having a boy to carry on the family name."

Kenzi gave the technician a blank stare for a moment then her face broke into a tiny smile. "Yes, but he better give me a little girl later."

Kenzi remained quiet as Lauren walked her to the front desk after the check-up was over.

"Please don't think I'm a terrible person for my outburst. I will love my baby boy just as much as I would have loved a girl."

Lauren chuckled and pulled on the stethoscope around her neck. "I know that."

Kenzi looked away from Lauren in shame. "I just got my heart set on having a little princess to dress up. I know that sounds stupid."

Lauren looked fondly at Kenzi. She sort of understood that. Kenzi had gone to fashion design school, and now she had her own online clothing store, designing women's clothes from home.

"It doesn't, but not all little girls want to play dress up, or wear dresses. And you might have a boy that wants to dress up or not. I think it's important to support your kid for who they are, and not let them ever feel like you're forcing them to be a certain way…" Lauren broke off, realizing she probably shouldn't be giving parenting advice when she was not ready for kids herself. What did she know about being a parent? Nothing.

Kenzi blew out a breath, looking embarrassed at herself. "Yeah, you're right. I was being silly. I promise I'm not that shallow."

Just as Lauren was about to say something, Fiona plopped down at the desk and grinned up at Lauren before handing her a file.

Lauren nodded and took the chart for her next patient. "I have to get back to work." Her eyes cut to Kenzi. "Will you be alright getting home?"

"Yes," Kenzi gave Lauren a quick hug, and Lauren hugged her back. "Thanks for everything, Lauren. I know it's not fun having an emotional, pregnant sister-in-law."

"It was no trouble at all," Lauren said, before leaving Kenzi to make her follow-up appointment.

XXXXXX

Even though it was early in the evening, the station was fairly active and noisy. There were cops chatting and moving around, phones ringing nonstop, and the copy machine sounding in the background.

"Dyson." Bo sat on the corner of his desk while he tapped away on his keyboard.

"What's up?" He asked, his eyes not leaving the screen. "I have a mountain of backlogged paperwork to do. I'm still behind from taking time off for Marshall."

Bo glanced at the picture of Marshall that Dyson had proudly displayed on his desk. "You're a good dad, I mean, you're still an idiot in a lot of ways, but I'm happy for you."

Dyson chuckled but kept typing. "I nearly shit my pants when I think about the responsibility of raising a kid, and it's the scariest thing I've ever done in my life, but the best."

Bo clapped a friendly hand on Dyson's shoulder and squeezed, but he didn't look up from his work. She cleared her throat and gestured to the file opened on Dyson's desk. "Are you reviewing the Reed case files?"

"Yeah. The bastard's court date is coming up. I hope he fries." He shook his head in disgust. "I still have nightmares over what he did to those women."

They exchanged a loaded, knowing look. They both knew firsthand the dark side of being detectives. A dark side where good cops were shot at and sometimes killed and maniacs butchered women. All cops had one case that stuck out, and got under their skins like no other, and the Doug Reed case was that one case for both Bo and Dyson.

The Reed case was the last investigation Dyson and Bo had worked on as partners before Bo was reassigned to a rookie, and Dyson was paired with Tamsin. She hated working with the new guy, but she didn't have much of a choice in the matter. She outranked Dyson and was given the responsibility of showing the new guy the ropes. But more than anything she disliked losing Dyson as a partner. They had developed an excellent system and worked like a well-oiled machine together, and now she had to start over with someone new.

Bo sighed, and picked up the file. "I know. I have to testify." She flipped through the crime scene photos, trying not to cringe. "He has a lot of fancy lawyers, and we know how that can go. These rich assholes always think they're above the law."

Dyson's hands clenched as he moved them away from the keyboard. "I hate defense attorneys, imagine being paid to defend those creeps. What a rotten career choice. They all think it's a game, when it should be about protecting the weak and the innocent."

On the surface, the prosecution had a case so airtight that not even the formidable Reed lawyers could get him off. But Bo knew there were too many legal tricks for her to feel overly confident about anything.

"Yeah," Bo replied absentmindedly with her eyes on her reports.

Dyson leaned back in his chair and rubbed his jaw, which didn't look like it had been shaved in a few days. "I heard Reed Senior is putting in a bid for your father's Senate seat next year."

Bo grimaced, and then rolled her eyes. "Clayton is just as gross as his son, and with a scandal like this, he has no chance. I mean his son's a murderer." She gave a tiny, proud smile. "And I think Harvey Dennis is looking forward to annihilating him, both in the press and at the ballot box. No way my father will allow his legacy to be tarnished by a Reed." She glanced at her watch. She had a meeting to question a witness for her new case. "I better get going."

A smile spread across Dyson's face. "Good luck with the rookie."

"Yeah, thanks for the reminder." She made a show of clearly rolling her eyes, but she missed the easy banter between them. It felt nice, and familiar. She missed him as a partner, so much. "Not only am I working a case without much to go on, but now I have to babysit the newbie."

Bo's rookie, and new partner, Mark, was newly promoted from being a uniformed cop and the newest, and youngest detective on the force. He was a few years younger than Bo, still with stars in his eyes and a mind to change the world. But he was young, and green, and more than slightly annoying.

Tamsin walked by hearing the end of the conversation. She paused and grinned at Bo. "Are we talking about Bo's rookie? What's he done now?"

Bo threw her arms up in exasperation, tossing the file back on Dyson's desk. "Don't you start. He's such a pain in the ass."

Tamsin and Dyson exchanged smiles.

"It's not funny." Bo grumbled before standing up and shooting them both the stink-eye.

XXXXXX

Leaving the exam room at the end of her shift, Lauren ducked into her tiny office and changed out of her work scrubs, pulled on a blue sleeveless shirt, and a pair of shorts. After grabbing her bag and slipping on a pair of sandals, she walked quietly through the hallway, wanting to get out quickly so she could get home before Bo.

Lauren stopped at the front desk to sign a few charts before leaving. Fiona was hunched over the keyboard at the reception's desk. Everyone else had gone home for the day, so it was just the two of them in the office.

Fiona straightened up to look at her, and then she leaned back in her chair as she slid the glasses to the tip of her nose. "You have lovely arms." She said as her eyes wandered over Lauren's bare arms.

A gasp of laughter escaped before Lauren could swallow it. "Huh?"

Fiona rolled the chair up closer to her and gave Lauren a bright smile. "Sorry, if you don't mind me saying so, it's hard to tell when you're all covered up by that lab coat. You have a very nice shape underneath, and most women would sell their souls to have your figure."

Lauren stared at her for several long seconds. It was a casual comment. Nothing special. She was young. Lauren guessed she was no more than twenty-one. She was probably just being friendly. But Lauren didn't want to encourage her or act 'purposefully blind' as Tara would say. She didn't want any misunderstandings or awkwardness around the office, either.

"Fiona, those kinds of statements are highly inappropriate in a professional environment," Lauren stated as politely and with as much admirable patience as she could.

Fiona's eyes widened, and her lips quivered. "I'm sorry, Dr. Lewis. I didn't mean anything by it. I was just making friendly conversation. I don't know what compelled me to say that."

Smiling, Lauren leaned closer as Fiona blinked rapidly on the verge of crying. "I know it was a harmless compliment, but it's still not appropriate for a work setting. You understand."

She peeked at Lauren over the rims of her black glasses, her eyes bright with moisture. "I get it." She pouted out her bottom lip while holding Lauren's eyes. "Sorry again, Dr. Lewis."

Before Lauren could say anything else, her cell went off. She read the text message and let out a sigh. It was the research lab she also worked at with an urgent message. "Sorry, this is important. I have to go." She said distractedly, already striding off to the front door.

"Let me know if you need anything," Fiona called out, watching Lauren go.

XXXXXX

Bo found her rookie near the front door, waiting for her. He was adjusting his pants, which were too tight, and inches too short, exposing his socks. He was also wearing a polo shirt instead of the standard plain button-ups or suits that all the other male detectives wore. It aggravated her.

"Howdy, Partner."

"Can't you find clothes that fit?" Bo snapped, annoyed that his appearance would make her look bad during the questioning. Detectives prided themselves on looking as professional as possible.

He glanced down at his clothes. "These pants are Armani."

Slowly, Bo looked him up and down. "And are they your much shorter father's pants?"

"Maybe." He gave her a broad smile and almost skipped up to her. "Can I drive today?"

Bo turned and walked off to her car, her boot heels clicking and echoing on the concrete ground.

"No," She said while he trailed along beside her. "You never get to drive."

Mark skidded to a halt. "Seriously? No fair."

"Don't push me, kid," Bo's tone held a definite warning. She jerked open the door of the driver's seat when he kept his silly smile.

After Bo had climbed in the driver's seat, Mark followed her and took his place in the passenger's seat next to her.

Bo turned on the ignition and said, "Just keep quiet while I question the witness. The trick is to get her to trust us, without spooking her. It's a delicate dance, which you're not ready for. You're nothing more than a liability right now."

A few minutes into the drive, Mark was fiddling with the radio and Bo swatted his hand away.

"Do you watch Game of Thrones?"

Bo shot him an impatient look. "No."

"Shit, man, you should watch it. It's like the best thing in the world. It really makes you think about some deep stuff, ya know?"

"Uh-huh. I don't have time to watch a lot of TV."

"You should totally binge-watch it on your next day off. I have all the Blu-rays. I could let you borrow them, but you have to swear to give them back…"

Bo did her best to tune him out while she focused on getting them to the witness on time.

After Mark had finished spoiling all the major plot twists in the first season, he turned to Bo and asked. "So you and Dyson never hooked up while working a case?"

Bo punched him right in his arm, hard. "I'm married, dumbass."

"I know, your wife's super hot." Mark laughed and rubbed his arm. "But since when does being married matter? Most of my friends have open relationships. Monogamy is totes out of fashion."

"How old are you?" Bo asked, sending him a scathing look. "We never hooked up, and never will," She said, not waiting for him to answer her question.

Mark rotated in his seat and smirked at her. "When I was a uniformed cop I made out with a girl in my patrol car. It was really hot." He shook his head, grinning. "Wow, do chicks love the uniform, and matching car."

"That's very unprofessional, dummy." Bo glared at him, and he seemed to shrink under her gaze.

Making more noise than Bo thought possible, Mark unwrapped a stick of gum and popped it into his mouth, chewing it loudly.

"You are so damn annoying." She exhaled, gripped the wheel tight and sped the car up. She took a deep breath to calm down. She was working herself up over his idiotic comments, and it wasn't going to help anything.

"There's some talk about you around the office. About you and your old boss…Well, I heard some stuff from the guys…"

Even though it had been years, Bo still couldn't escape the gossip about her and Ryan. Just when she thought it had died down it always came back up. It was a mistake that would follow her for the rest of her career, but she refused to let it stop her from being a great detective. The whispers. Judgmental stares. The nicknames. She had experienced it all, and more. It was times like this that she missed Dyson as a partner more acutely.

"For a group of grown ass men, those detectives are the worst gossips I've ever met. I know you want to fit in, and it's hard being the new guy but don't be like the rest of those douchebags. You need to learn to treat your co-workers with respect."

He gave her a sheepish look and folded his hands in his lap. "Sorry, Bo. I couldn't have asked for a better detective to show me the ropes. And I do respect you. I'm real sorry if I offended you."

Bo puffed out her cheeks and then slowly blew out a breath. She was going to need a lot of patience to deal with this rookie. Mark had done a remarkable job of irritating Bo to the extreme over the last few weeks. But she felt some responsibility for him. They were partners, it was her job to teach him, and keep him alive. But that didn't stop her from getting annoyed at the stupid things he said or did.

Bo settled on clinging to her annoyance, and she let her scowl show it. She shoved her black notepad at him. "Just read over my case notes, and no more talking."

She drove her point home with a final warning. "I know the casual banter around the station makes boundaries seem murky. Cops like to talk a lot of shit, but when we're on duty, this type of chitchat is off limits. Got it?"

He flipped open the notepad and nodded his understanding. To Bo's relief, he didn't open his mouth for the rest of the drive. And when she ordered him to wait in the car, while she questioned her witness, he obeyed.

XXXXX

At home, at last, Lauren began to strip. That wasn't atypical for her. She liked to take a quick shower and change into comfortable clothes as soon as possible, especially after a long day of being on her feet. She kicked off her shoes and padded to her bedroom to slip into the shower, and then some comfortable shorts and a fresh shirt.

After her shower, Lauren waited in the dimly lit living room, ready for a relaxing evening when Bo arrived home. She had an early morning the next day, and Bo had a late night, it was usual for them, but they tried to make it work. Eating dinners together when they could, finding bits of time whenever possible.

Lauren turned the page of the medical journal in front of her, wondering if she should just give up. The subject matter interested her, but it wasn't like she was absorbing any of the words. Bo was late and hadn't called. Being the wife of a cop always came with lingering worries, the slight bracing every time she left for work. In the back of her mind, the depths of her heart, she always knew that every time she kissed Bo goodbye it might be the last time she ever saw her. She could spend hours tormenting herself about what-ifs when Bo was late, or she couldn't reach her. She, of all people, knew how dangerous Bo's job was. Bo had already had two brushes with death during her career. And Lauren readily admitted that she was increasingly squeamish about Bo's job.

Swiping another journal from the coffee table, she flipped through it, hoping to use it to keep her mind off fretting about Bo. She was getting antsy as her mind wandered to nowhere good.

"Lauren?" Bo opened the door an hour later. "Sorry, I didn't call. It was one of those days…" Her voice choked off when Lauren moved out of the shadows, wearing a loose top that hung off one shoulder, giving Bo a tempting and sexy view of Lauren's skin. And, of course, she immediately noticed that Lauren wasn't wearing a bra.

"Hey, wife." Bo purposely licked her top lip, eyeing Lauren's nipples that were peeking through the thin fabric of her shirt. "What a nice greeting. I like the no bra look. It suits you."

Lauren walked up the greet her. "Hey, wife. So, are you planning to kiss me after your long day?"

Bo tore her eyes from Lauren's chest and nodded a yes. She took Lauren's face in her hands and kissed her thoroughly, holding her face, and rubbing her thumbs on Lauren's cheeks, soothingly.

Lauren chuckled against Bo's mouth when Bo lifted her shirt and traced her fingertips over the underside of Lauren's breast. "Dinner?" She asked quickly before Bo could tease her too much.

"It would be super awesome if you were naked during dinner, 'kay?" Bo said, her mouth not leaving Lauren's. "You're half way there anyway." She licked Lauren's lips before catching her lower lip between her teeth.

Pushing Bo back, Lauren raised a finger in warning. "No."

"Yes." Bo countered, leaning in for a kiss.

Lauren laughed lightly, dodging her lips. "Don't get any ideas, Detective. I'm feeding you first."

Bo's eyes widened, and she said suggestively, "Goooo on…that sounds hot."

Smiling she stepped back and Bo advanced on her. She knew if she let Bo kiss her too much, they would end up in bed instead of having dinner, and she was starving after a long day.

Bo pouted and gave Lauren those I-want-to-have-sex-with-you-right-now eyes.

"Why pretend that we don't both want to be in bed right now?" Bo's voice was flirty and light, but her eyes were pure heat. "Or against the wall? Or on the kitchen table…anywhere really. You could even just stand there and let me do all the work."

Lauren gave a strangled laugh. "That voice doesn't work on me. Neither do those eyes."

Bo batted her eyelashes. "You sure? It usually does."

"I have a very early morning tomorrow, and I cooked us dinner. I skipped lunch today; I'm starving."

"Well," Bo started, lifting her eyebrows in challenge. "Perhaps we should just take that food into the bedroom."

Lauren fisted her hands on her hips and teased Bo back. "Detective Dennis, I regret to inform you that while I am definitely flattered by your advances, the only thing we're doing right now is eating the lovely dinner I've prepared."

Bo instantly started protesting, but Lauren spun away, hurrying off to the kitchen.

Bo gave a happy, little sigh and went to put her weapon away. "Sorry, I was so late. My work stuff took longer than I expected and, well, you know." She said, joining Lauren at the stove.

"Want to tell me about it?" Lauren asked, blowing on the steaming stew before taking a tentative bite.

Bo shook her head, removing her boots and tossing them haphazardly onto the floor. "No, I want you to make me forget about it."

Lauren turned from the stove to look at Bo. "I think I can do that." She said with a captivating smile.

Bo smiled back and went to open a bottle of wine. They settled themselves on the barstools that wrapped around the kitchen area after Lauren had served them a hefty portion of the stew.

Lauren pressed her lips together briefly, in the way she always did right before she said something serious, and Bo instinctively braced herself.

"Have you talked to your sister?" Lauren asked.

Bo felt a little wave of panic and sat straighter. "No, I was busy all day. Is something wrong?"

"No, the baby is fine. She had an appointment today, and has some news."

"I hate that I couldn't be there for her," Bo grumbled weakly. "My job always gets in the way of the important stuff."

Their gazes locked and held, something thick and unspoken passing between them. Finally, Lauren took Bo's hand, massaging the back with her thumb. "She understands."

XXXXXX

After that, Bo got everything she needed to relax. A home cooked meal, plus a shoulder massage from Lauren, who had magic fingers. Life was good, very, very good. Their normal was pretty amazing.

They sat on the sofa and Bo was sipping her forth glass of wine, and Lauren rested her head on Bo's lap with her computer balanced on her knees.

Bo peeked at Lauren over the top of her wine glass. "What are you working on?"

Lauren rapidly clicked away on the keyboard. "A grant proposal. If I don't get more funding soon, I won't be able to continue with my research."

Bo smiled, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "Bummer. Sorry."

Lauren squeezed her eyes shut, pressed the base of her palms in her sockets. "It's a substantial grant, one that could fund several years of research, but I'm not worried about it. I can be very persuasive when I need to be." She sat up and placed the computer beside her. "Working to isolate genes to reverse the effects of Alzheimer's is very expensive business."

"I bet." Bo let out a breath with a combination of exhaustion and contentment as Lauren scooted in closer to her. "We have like the best life ever. We're so lucky."

Lauren agreed with her and took a chug of wine.

A silly smile lingered over Bo's lips as she examined Lauren. "This marriage stuff will always be a lot of work, but I'm happy. Like really happy. You have this light around you, and I'm always drawn to it. Like a moth to the flame." She gave a little laugh. She wasn't precisely drunk but tipsy from the wine. "A lot of people are drawn to that light, and you don't even realize it."

Lauren leaned forward and snatched the wine bottle off the coffee table. "How much wine have you had?" She joked and held up the wine bottle to examine it.

"I'm serious. I see the way people react to you. Look at you. You have a goodness, a selflessness inside that just radiates out of you." Bo shrugged, finishing her drink. "Like I said. You have a light about you. You're brilliant, generous, gorgeous…"

Bo trailed off and tugged Lauren forward, reached for her legs, and encouraged her to straddle her hips, and Lauren came willingly.

Lauren cuddled up on Bo in the sweetest way possible. When Lauren settled her knees on either side of Bo and draped her arms over her shoulders, Bo's hands went to her hips, and she released a relieved sigh.

Lauren lifted her hand and stroked Bo's hair where it fell over her shoulder. Whatever happened next in their lives, whatever they faced, they would always be solid inside their bubble, in the space that was only them and no one else. "Well, I don't know about all that. But I'm heartbreakingly, soul-wrenchingly in love with you. I'll always be all in with us. Always."

"And I will always be grateful that I found you. For you existing in the first place. Thank you for always taking the best care of me. For sharing a piece of your light with me." Bo held Lauren's gaze captive, prolonging the sweetness of the moment, and it reminded Lauren of all the reasons she married her in the first place.

But then, after a minute, Bo smirked, and tightened her grip on Lauren's hips. "Are we going to have sex tonight or…" She said, her fingers dipped just slightly under the waistband of Lauren's shorts, realizing she wasn't wearing any underwear. "No panties. You wicked woman…"

Lauren cracked up but quickly turned serious. "You're insatiable, aren't you?" She whispered throatily.

"Oh, obviously, but I'm not the only one."

"Obviously," Lauren said with a grin, tossing the hair off her face.

Bo smiled at her because she was so damn beautiful. And because she made Bo so stupidly happy. "I can't think straight with your yummy body in front of me."

Bo kissed her shoulder and licked her neck before burying her face in the waves of Lauren's silky hair for a long moment. She moved to kiss her but stopped mid-kiss when her phone went off.

Bo pulled back groaning loudly, fearing it was the station. She checked the display and frowned at it. It was Rainer, her father's assistant, which was odd, to say the least. As it continued to buzz she debated ignoring it, but finally she decided to get the conversation over with, or he might bug her the whole night.

As Bo answered the call, Lauren removed herself from her lap. She sat down heavily on the couch next to Bo to give her some space during her phone call.

"Hello, Mrs. Dennis. I apologize for the late hour of my call." Rainer began, his tone was even, subdued. He cleared his throat and continued.

There is a stillness that accompanies news of the death of a loved one. Everything became distant and removed like the world was dimmed. And that's what Bo felt as she barely heard Rainer tell her about her father's death. Later she wouldn't even be able to recall the details of the conversation, or even remember feeling anything but numbness.

Without a word, she clicked off the phone and looked at Lauren as she returned her gaze.

Lauren's heart stopped when she saw that Bo's face was uncharacteristically somber. "Is everything okay?" She asked, leaning forward and running a hand over Bo's leg. "What happened?"

Bo opened her mouth but hesitated, because she couldn't find the words. It didn't make sense. For a long time, she stared at Lauren, and then she took a deep breath. "My father's dead." Her brows scrunched as if confused about saying the words. "He died, today…"

 **XXXXX**

 **AN**

 **Next up: Harvey's funeral.**

 **Not to spoil too much, but I wanted to reassure you all that this story ISN'T about grief pushing Bo to a dark place and destroying her marriage. Been there, done that, with another fic of mine.**

 **Thanks for reading and reviewing.**


	4. Chapter 4

_Twenty-three years ago…._

 _Bo stood on a large stage and quietly bent forward, smoothing the tiny wrinkles out of her cream and navy dress. She wanted to look perfect. It was an important day for her daddy. Or that's what they told her. The fabric of her dress sparkled and glistened, and the dark brown ringlets curled down her back swung as she moved under the bright spotlights._

 _On the floor at Bo's feet, Kenzi played with a doll, too young to know what was happening._

 _Looking around at the crowd standing before them, Bo heard the chants. Dennis. Dennis. That made her smile. It was a happy day. A big day indeed._

" _Stop fidgeting, Bo," Her nanny whispered next to her._

 _Bo pouted and let her hands fall to her sides while Kenzi climbed to her feet and hugged Bo's leg._

 _Bo heard the tapping sound as the microphone came alive. "Senator Harvey Dennis!"_

 _Her attention went to the audience as the crowd boomed in applause and cheers. Signs bearing the Dennis name were bobbing up and down amidst the sea of people._

 _Beaming, she watched as her daddy stepped out onto the stage, grinning and waving. Soon the roar of the audience caused Bo to cover her tiny ears to block out the noise._

 _The cold hands of her nanny wrapped around her hands and tugged them down to her sides again._

" _Try not to act too happy or too nervous or too excited. We don't want anything negative to be caught on camera. Hundreds of pictures are going to capture your every move. And you don't want to make your daddy look bad, right? Just smile and stand still like a good little girl." One of the men that work for her daddy told her._

 _Confused, Bo froze in place, not sure what she should do. Then she glanced back at her dad. She stared in awe as he took his place in front of the wooden podium. Her daddy always told her that being a politician was a big deal, very important. She knew he was right._

 _After a minute, the noise had died down, and her father's strong voice carried through the speakers as he gave his prepared speech. Finally, Harvey turned around and motioned for Bo and Kenzi to come forward._

" _I wouldn't be the man I am today, without my darling daughters..." Harvey paused to catch the effect his words had on the crowd._

 _The supporters cheered again, and Bo couldn't help but blush a little as the nanny walked her and Kenzi to her father's side._

 _Bo looked up at her daddy as he squeezed them close to him and waved to the crowd. "This is only the first step in a long journey, ladies, and gentlemen! The real work starts tomorrow!"_

 _At that moment, Bo thought her father would always be her hero._

XXXXXX

It rained the day of Harvey Dennis' funeral. As if the universe itself was mourning his death. Bo welcomed the rain. It seemed befitting for the gloomy, sad day of well, a funeral. The elaborate service had been long, and exhausting with far too many people in attendance. Very important people, whom Bo didn't know at all, gave lots of long speeches. But she could picture her father in the crowd with a smile on his face, amused by all the attention, and words spoken about him.

At the cemetery, Bo huddled under an umbrella, Lauren at her side, clutching her hand. Lauren wore a dark suit and kept her eyes fixed ahead with a few tears in her eyes.

But Bo didn't cry, she looked stoic, damp hair brushing her shoulders as she lowered her head and sighed, thinking that they really should have rented some tents.

She had felt Lauren's eyes on her throughout the service, and she had squeezed her hand just a little tighter in response, each time. Lauren understood without a word that Bo didn't need words. She only needed her warmth, her touch. She was simply comforted by Lauren's presence.

For Bo, the funeral was an exercise of going through the motions for the sake of going through the motions. All she felt was empty, and out of sync. For all the obvious reasons, she'd never been a fan of funerals, not that she'd been to very many. But as a cop, she was surrounded by too much death on a daily basis. She couldn't help but wonder how many lives had been cut too short, and how much regret was felt within the gates of that place.

The ancient priest, or minister or preacher or whatever, presiding over Harvey's grave spoke of love, of family, of service. Bo simply wanted it to be done and over. She knew they had to do the religious part, but to her, the words felt hollow.

There were flags, and flowers everywhere, and behind the casket blown-up family photos. In the pictures, they appeared like a lovely, normal family. Bo's eyes landed on a picture of the three of them on the night of his first election. She stared at herself in her cream and navy dress and perfect curls. Her life had changed forever after that moment. Briefly, she thought that was the actual moment she had lost her father.

Putting her father to rest made her feel disconnected. Between the waves of numbness, there was a sense of loss, certainly. But she didn't cry, didn't show it. She wanted to be strong for her sister, for her wife. She had to be the rock so that they could count on her strength, cry on her shoulder.

Kenzi stood next to her, under her own umbrella, leaning against Hale, weeping into his shoulder. Her father had been so excited for his first grandchild. Her chest constricted as she thought about all the things Kenzi and her boy would never experience with Harvey, of all the things they would miss out on. She gulped for air as she tore her eyes away from her pregnant sister.

Bo glanced over her shoulder and saw her friends standing in the back, keeping a respectful distance. Dyson and Tamsin stood side by side, dressed in their uniforms with solemn expressions. Next to Dyson, Ciara held Marshall in her arms. She gave her a gentle smile when their eyes met. Good friends were hard to come by, and Bo was thankful to have so many caring people around her.

Her attention moved over to the crowd of people crammed at the gate, hoping to catch a glimpse of the late senator. A senator's death was a big deal, and her father had been very popular, so it didn't surprise her that people had shown up to watch.

Then, her eyes moved to the press that lined the entrance. She hated the media. All of them. What a great story they had in their hands. Such a tragedy for them to splash everywhere. The doctors said it was a heart attack that killed her father. But Bo couldn't come to grips with that diagnosis. He was young, only fifty-three, healthy, fit. Never had any heart problems. Ever. She could just picture those reporters foaming at the mouth for the story. Not only did Senator Dennis unexpectedly die from a heart attack, in the middle of an election year, but he was also broke. His multimillion-dollar fortune was gone, and immediately rumors began to surface. Gambling debt, drugs, bribes, call girls, bad investments, on and on the media speculated. Nothing made sense. It all sounded insane to her.

Anger twisted through Bo's gut, and she wanted to lash out at them, to tell them to fuck off. None of them knew her father or cared that her sister was pregnant and obviously destroyed by the loss. They didn't care that Kenzi's son would never know his grandfather, or that her wife had sworn off her own parents and had taken up the Dennis family as her own. All they wanted was a juicy story.

With three gentle squeezes on her hand, Lauren took Bo's attention away from the reporters, and she turned back around.

The wind picked up, whipping passed them, and Bo shivered just as the priest, or whoever met her eyes. "Remember him as the generous, caring man he was, all the work he did for his community and family. And do not grieve, for his soul is at peace, and he will finally join his wife…"

Bo zoned out as he read from his script and tilted her head back to gaze up at the top of the umbrella. She listened and watched as the raindrops ran down, rhythmically above her. She wanted nothing to do with this man's words. She wanted to punch the man for his superficial sermon. His empty words were meaningless to her, to her family.

Finally, he quieted, and they all watched as the casket was lowered into the ground. It felt harsh to force mourners to watch that part, though, Bo supposed, it was meant to be difficult. A way to force them all to face the reality and finality of the death.

He made an announcement that all could come forward to the grave to give their final respects.

Moving forward, Bo threw a single, long-stemmed rose on the polished mahogany coffin. For a few moments, she just stared, lost in the bleakness of happenstance, of what could never be recovered, never regained. Lauren tossed her rose next to hers, before placing her hand on Bo's back. The gentle way Lauren touched her relaxed her and broke through her dark thoughts.

Next, Kenzi and Hale stepped toward them. Hale tipped the umbrella so Kenzi could toss her rose on the coffin. With a trembling hand, she reached down, stroking her stomach as Hale tossed in his rose. A tear slipped down her face, and she made eye contact with Bo.

As Bo held Kenzi's gaze, for the first time, her own eyes started to fill with tears. The flash of camera lights covered Bo's eyes. She cringed, and the tears disappeared. She shifted her eyes away from Kenzi, looked at all the flowers, and then jerked her head away back at the reporters. She couldn't look at it anymore, couldn't be there anymore.

Bo stepped aside and the wet earth squished beneath her footsteps. She glanced down at her mud-splattered pants and then lifted her head to watch as the sea of black made its way up to the grave that would permanently mark her father's death. Bo couldn't help noticing the whispers, the sidelong glances at her and her sister.

"Let's get out of here," Bo said, her voice tight and low. "I can't stand this. We don't need all these damn people looking at us right now."

"You read my mind." Kenzi took Bo's hand, looked at the grave with fresh tears in her eyes. "Goodbye, dad. We will miss you." She whispered.

The family walked away from the casket, allowing everyone else in line to say their goodbyes. Hand and hand, together, they headed for the limo they had rented so they could all ride together, walking away from Harvey Dennis for the very last time.

 _XXXXX_

 _About four years ago…_

 _Smiling, Bo watched Kenzi and Hale walk onto the dance floor. The wedding band started to play, and lots of couples were taking to the dance floor. But Bo couldn't find her date, her girlfriend. As far as Bo could tell, she seemed to have vanished completely. Lauren's disappearance was making her so anxious she was practically jumping out of her skin._

 _She walked with purpose to the ladies' room, but as she passed by the dance floor, Dyson called her name._

" _Have you seen my girlfriend?" Bo asked, her unpleasant mood written all over her face._

 _He shook his head in answer, and then asked, "What's wrong? You seem on edge."_

" _I'm just peachy, Dyson. Thanks for asking." She replied, sarcastically. "My girlfriend only kicked me out of my home. And now Kenzi's leaving on her honeymoon…."_

" _You and Lauren are so confusing. She kicked you out, but you're still together?"_

 _Bo took a deep breath, glanced briefly at her feet, and then returned her gaze to Dyson. "She needs space." She did angry air quotes around the word space. "What the hell does that mean? I just want to see her, spend time with her. She thinks her career is the only thing that matters. Her entire world revolves around being a doctor, her studying. I feel like she keeps pushing me to the side."_

 _Dyson rolled up his sleeves with his critical eyes on Bo. "What did you expect when you started dating a doctor? She worked her whole life for this. She's driven and very focused, and she never hid that part of herself from you."_

" _I knew you would take her side. I get you two have a lot of history, but I thought you were also my friend."_

" _It's not a matter of choosing sides," He answered. "If forced, I will always choose Lauren, no matter what. I know Lauren well enough to tell when she's working through something. And right now, she's working through something big, and it has everything to do with you. Because of what you did…"_

 _Hearing the accusation in Dyson's voice, Bo's head jerked like he had slapped her. "I was drunk." She ground her teeth, as she glared at him. "And I really thought we were broken up."_

 _He tugged at his tie, loosening it. "So, the first thing you did was sleep with someone else?" He wrinkled his face in revulsion. "And Ryan? Really?"_

 _Bo could feel the tears pooling in the corners of her eyes, and she willed them not to fall. She felt herself cracking. Afraid she would shatter completely, she turned angry. "Lauren ripped my heart out. Ripped my heart out of my chest, and shredded it in front of me. What the hell is a break?" She threw her arms up in frustration. "I don't understand that. How can she claim I cheated on her when SHE asked for a break?"_

 _Dyson just shrugged, and Bo felt her anger flare once more._

" _I've given her everything. Everything she wants, and when things get tough…she just walked away like I was nothing to her. She's my world, and she left me when all I asked for from her was time. Time together."_

 _Dyson sighed impatiently. "So, what do you want?"_

 _Bo always thought she was a relatively strong person, but with her relationship in limbo she saw how frail and weak she truly was._

" _I want my girlfriend. Nothing else. There's nothing more important to me than Lauren." Her voice cracked on the last half of her answer._

 _Dyson stepped closer to Bo and whispered. "Then stop making this all about you and how you feel." He turned and walked away from her._

 _Later, Bo found Lauren standing at the bar, alone. She was leaning on her elbows with her face buried in her hands._

" _Hey, beautiful, wanna dance?" Bo asked from behind Lauren. In her five-inch heels, she towered over Lauren. Her confidence wavered momentarily, but then she placed her hands on Lauren's shoulders._

 _Lauren didn't turn around, and there was a beat of silence, heavy, uncomfortable._

 _In an attempt to defuse the tension, Bo stroked her thumb over Lauren's skin, and whispered into her ear, "Want me to order you a drink?"_

 _Lauren squared her shoulders, stepped away from Bo. "No thanks." Her voice was carefully controlled._

 _They stared at each other; Bo wondered what Lauren was thinking, and she wished she'd just tell her. Ten seconds turned into thirty, then sixty. Stare, that's all Lauren did. Assessing her._

" _Why did you even come?" Bo snapped, not able to stop herself when the silence became too much. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that." She added, backtracking quickly. "I'm happy you're here."_

 _Lauren's features softened, and her eyes widened, sadness churning in its depths. Her expression was heartbreaking, and tears stung Bo's eyes as she stared at Lauren. Her beautiful, warm, heartfelt, incredible girl was broken, and it was all Bo's fault._

" _I'm going home," Lauren stated, coldly. "I have an early shift tomorrow."_

" _I'll take you home." Bo offered with a smile._

 _Lauren opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it quickly. After a quick shake of her head, she marched away from Bo._

 _Bo lost herself in the music for awhile, willing her brain to not overthink Lauren's behavior. A few songs later, she ordered a drink._

 _The tequila burned Bo's throat and settled like a brick in her stomach. She felt Harvey's eyes on her as she ordered a second. Her father had talking points for every conversation, and Bo wasn't in the mood to hear his opinion about her relationship._

" _Everything all right?" Senator Dennis asked coming to stand next to her._

 _Bo stared at the bar, her stomach made queasy and sick by his question, or maybe it was the alcohol. She felt like a disappointment. Because she was, to Lauren, to herself. "Yes." She lied, mumbling under her breath._

 _Harvey stared at Bo for a beat, his forehead wrinkling slightly. "Hmm. And where is the lovely Lauren this evening?" He asked as if knowing exactly what was on Bo's mind._

 _Bo looked up and saw genuine concern in his expression. She studied him in his tailored black suit, white shirt, and the little flag on his lapel. "Do you believe in second chances?" She asked, ignoring the Lauren question._

 _Her father smiled a politician's smile. "Depends. Sometimes, there can be no second chances in life, but, in time, there can be healing. The most you can do is move on and hope for the best. One day, Bo. One day at a time."_

 _Bo leaned back on the bar top, and her eyes scanned over the couples on the dance floor. She felt like a failure. Like she had lost Lauren forever. "I don't know what to do." She said, more to herself than her father. "I keep screwing up."_

" _Bo, there's a time to fight, and there's a time to bow out graciously, and let go. You need to decide what time this is." His tone was soft. It was the voice he'd used when she was a kid._

 _Bo snapped her eyes to him as she considered his words. She held years of resentment toward her father for his decision to choose his career over his family. And she wondered if she had unfairly transferred some of that resentment to Lauren. But Lauren wasn't Harvey, and she would never choose her career over her. Somehow, Bo had lost that knowledge along the way and became completely wrapped up in her own feelings._

" _I'm going to fight for what I believe in. I'm going to fight like hell to get back what I lost," Bo stated with a renewed sense of determination to fix her relationship._

 _As Bo turned back around and signaled the bartender for another drink, Harvey said, "The best things in life will happen despite not having all the answers. It will come down to nothing but a feeling, an instinct you can't explain."_

" _Uh-huh," Bo muttered. Then, she tilted her head back and let the alcohol burn down her throat._

" _You were such a tough little girl. I never had to worry about you. Do you remember when you insisted on taking off your training wheels when you were only four?"_

 _Bo rolled her eyes reflexively, because what she did as a child was the least of her worries at that moment. "No."_

" _You would fall over and over again. But you always got back up. Until finally you succeeded without anyone's help." He was smiling at the memory of Bo as a little girl. "You've grown into such a strong, capable woman, Bo. I'm very proud of you, and I know you can get through anything. You deserve happiness and don't settle for less." He kissed Bo's cheek, which startled her. "Remember that you've always got to get back up."_

 _Harvey stepped away and looked back at his daughter. "I love you, my dear."_

XXXXX

Inside the limo, they all did a lot of staring. Staring out the window, at the floor, at their hands. They kept their eyes fixed on different objects without speaking. Their thoughts lingered in the past, on Harvey. The gloomy, unhappy laden air was nearly overwhelming for all four of them.

Across from Bo and Lauren, Kenzi snuggled tightly next to Hale and wiped away some straggling tears. Every so often, Lauren would caress Bo's arm or press a loving kiss to her cheek.

Bo's eyes met Lauren's for a brief moment before settling onto Kenzi's when she spoke, "Do you remember that summer dad took us on the campaign trail?"

Bo nodded, immediately recalling the memory.

"You kept sneaking off and hiding in the other buses. Remember?"

Silently, Bo nodded again. There was heartbreak haunting Kenzi's eyes, and Bo didn't expect it to fade anytime soon.

Kenzi gathered a deep breath, held it in, and responded on an exhale. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why were you always running away?"

Bo didn't say anything. She blinked. Watched Kenzi. And then blinked again. "He brought us along for the photo opportunities, nothing more. I didn't want to be used as a prop. I don't like being treated like public property."

Sensing Bo's growing tension, Lauren reached out and grabbed Bo's hand, pulling it to her lap.

Kenzi gave a weak smile, her eyes losing focus. "It never bothered me as much as you." She rubbed her stomach in slow circles. "Maybe because I don't remember what it was like before, it was the only life I knew."

Hale wrapped his arm around Kenzi and kissed her cheek.

Bo's father hadn't been uncaring or unkind. He had been a great dad actually. When he was around, which hadn't been much. Growing up, Bo understood the work her dad did was important, but it still bothered her that it came before his family. He had disappointed her so many times that, eventually, she stopped expecting anything from him at all.

Bo fiddled with Lauren's fingers, debating what to say. The truth. Sure why not.

"When I was little Harvey Dennis was my world. But then he got elected to office, and I realized that his focus, his priorities, HIS entire world revolved around his image, the next campaign, and his voters." Bo looked out the tinted window and sighed. "He left us on the sidelines. He never made time for us, unless it was for a photo op or a fundraiser."

"His work was important to him," Kenzi said, resting her hand on Hale's leg. "I don't believe that you know this, but you and dad always had a special bond, a special relationship. Maybe the first child always does."

Bo didn't believe that but decided against arguing with her sister about it.

"He was a good man. One of a kind." Hale said, stroking Kenzi's stomach. "He always encouraged you in your career." He kissed Kenzi's temple and then started murmuring loving words against her skin.

All the talk about her father weighed heavily on Bo's chest. She began feeling more helpless. More lost. More confused.

Silent in her thoughts Lauren glanced over to Bo. When their eyes locked, she mouthed, "I love you" and nothing else. Always patient, always caring, Lauren knew Bo would talk about things eventually, but she wouldn't push it. That is what she needed, Lauren's calming support. No pressure, just Lauren by her side.

Bo answered by kissing the back of Lauren's hand.

"Whatever dad's failings, he was the only parent we had. He wasn't an ideal father, but I always knew I could rely on him for the important stuff. And now…" Kenzi fell silent and buried her face in Hale's body. "He's gone. Gone forever. And he'll never meet his grandson. Life can really suck sometimes."

Feeling suddenly hot, Bo rolled the window down and leaned her head out, needing the fresh air. She closed her eyes and let the raindrops hit her face. It was oddly soothing.

"No matter what age, death touches us all at one time or another. We're all helpless against what's written in the stars. All we can do is honor his memory." Hale's words were heartfelt, but Bo barely heard him as the wind and rain ran over her ears.

Eventually, all the attempts at conversation gave way to silence again.

XXXXX

The funeral reception was at Kenzi's home. It was a much lighter affair, as the worst part was over. Even the rain had stopped, the skies cleared and the day turned bright and sunny.

When most of the funeral-goers had left, Bo slipped outside. Each step provided distance, and the more distance she put between herself and the crowd, the easier it became to breathe. She really couldn't get away fast enough. She needed air.

She leaned against the back of the limo, alone. She was exhausted from all the people that kept coming up to her, and hugging her, and holding her hands, telling her about what a wonderful man her father was, how sorry they were for her, all the stuff people say at funerals. They all wanted to share stories as they reminisced through their grief. She knew they were being sincere, but still it left her drained.

Holding a long, hand-rolled joint between her thumb and forefinger, she debated lighting it. The last time she'd indulged was after Lauren told her she wanted a break. At first, she had only wanted to mellow out, but then she had gotten so high and drunk that she made the biggest mistake of her life. Even then, remembering that night filled her with so much shame. And marijuana could turn into a crutch, an escape, and one she had vowed she wouldn't use again after that night.

With a shrug, she lit the end. She drew in a lungful and coughed. After a smaller puff, it went down smoother.

Bo checked over her shoulder when she heard footsteps approaching. She watched Lauren emerge gracefully into her view.

"Are you smoking pot?" Lauren asked, her gaze dropped to Bo's hand.

"Yeah. You caught me." Bo laughed for several seconds when her laughter trailed off she cleared her throat, and asked, "You want some?"

Lauren shook her head no, and leaned against the limo next to Bo.

They sat there for a moment in silence. It felt good just to sit there outside with her wife, not having to be polite, not having to talk.

Lauren's eyes fixed on Bo. They were the same eyes that had affected her so intensely the first moment she saw her, their brilliance and expressiveness capturing her attention immediately.

Lauren's eyes spoke volumes, but she didn't say anything; she waited patiently for Bo to speak first.

Bo took a long pull from the joint, and then tilted her head back to blow out the smoke. "Do you know that in the last three days I've been asked 232 times 'how are you?' by different people?"

"Is that right," Lauren grinned at Bo and nudged her shoulder. "So, how are you?" She asked, teasing Bo a little to break down her armor.

Bo smiled at that. "Honestly, I don't know what I'm feeling. I'm sad, but I'm not devastated like Kenzi. I think something's wrong with me. Am I really so callous?"

Lauren's eyes illuminated with understanding, and she smiled supportively. "Grief manifests itself differently in everyone. Try not to measure your response against others. There is no proper behavior when it comes to dealing with the finality of not seeing someone you care about ever again."

Lauren's rational perspective made Bo feel a little better. "Kenzi's in so much pain. It's excruciating to watch and not be able to do anything about it."

"You can't be responsible for everyone, Bo. I know you have this innate need to protect those you love, but don't think you can do anything more than just be there for her."

Bo swiped a frustrated hand over her eyes though no tears had fallen. "For me, it's a very strange feeling, and a lot to adapt to."

"Well, is that helping?" Lauren asked, nodding her head to the joint.

Bo stared at the lit end for a long moment. "Not really." When Bo glanced back at Lauren, her brown eyes were so focused and intense that she held her breath. "You're here. That's enough. You're what I need." She pulled in more smoke. "Harvey was always a big fan of yours. He admired you for your work ethic and brilliance."

Lauren smiled and glanced at her feet, but lifted her eyes when Bo spoke again.

"I keep thinking that none of us really knew Harvey Dennis. The man, I mean." Bo said quietly, thinking about his missing fortune, and the possible secrets he had.

"When you meet with his lawyer you might get more answers."

The joint stilled in Bo's hand for several seconds before she flicked it away. "I guess."

Lauren situated herself more comfortably beside Bo so that they were shoulder to shoulder, both leaning against the limo. The heat of Lauren's body soothed Bo, and she was again grateful for her presence.

"Lauren, sometimes, we get so busy with work. Both of us. And it's easy to get wrapped up in that and forget to actually live. But I never want us to forget how to live, how to be happy. I want us to always enjoy the little things, like great parties with friends, telling jokes and laughing. Even the little things that seem cheesy like sunsets."

Lauren tilted her head slightly, looking at Bo again. "I can't think of anything better than that."

Lauren and Bo stayed outside, talking a bit and just being together quietly for the rest of the reception. Lauren understood without saying that Bo wasn't in the mood to go back inside.

"Look the sun's setting," Lauren said, flashing Bo a bright smile and turning toward the sunset.

Bo rested her head on Lauren's shoulder as her eyes turned to the sky. The sun was just setting, filling the sky with the most vivid, splashes of purples and oranges. The awe-inspiring sunset was a peaceful ending to a hard, overwhelming day. And once the sun had disappeared, Bo finally broke down and cried on Lauren's shoulder.

 **XXXXX**

 **AN**

 **Next up: Bo and Kenzi meet with Harvey's lawyer.**

 **Thanks for reading and reviewing.**


	5. Chapter 5

Harvey's lawyer's office sat in the heart of the city, and Kenzi and Bo decided to walk. The sky was clear blue, and the temperature was comfortable hovering around seventy degrees. The sun was still low, filtering through the skyscrapers around them. Bo was starting to feel almost normal again; she felt recharged. After crying on Lauren's shoulder, Bo had felt something come free deep within her chest. She had let go of all the bad feelings she had been holding toward her father. Whatever her daddy issues were, her abandonment issues, she knew it was time to let go of the past, let go of the hurt.

Strolling next to her, Kenzi seemed to be recharged as well, talking excitedly about all the baby things she had purchased recently. Bo was pleased to talk about something other than her father, so she listened to every word with a smile.

Kenzi paused in the middle of telling Bo about the baby's nursery. "Sorry, I've been yapping away. I know this baby stuff is taking over my life."

Bo briefly touched Kenzi's shoulder. "No, it should, and I love hearing about it. It's good to talk about something happy."

Kenzi blew out a breath, and then chuckled to herself. "I've turned into one of those annoying mothers that only talk about babies. I never thought I'd see the day."

They exchanged a quick glance and smiled at each other.

"How much longer are you and Lauren going to wait? I don't want our kids to be too far apart in age. You've been together for what seems like forever, why wait?"

As far as Bo was concerned, the subject of babies was closed for now, and they'd moved on, but that didn't stop others from asking about it.

"It's a complicated decision. A lot to think about and discuss."

Kenzi laughed, holding her stomach. "I guess it would be. Would you want to adopt? A lot of kids out there need a good home. But adoption sure is a long and expensive process, and they might hold your job against you."

Bo opened her mouth to reply, but only an umm came out.

"If not adopting, which one of you would want to carry the baby?"

Bo's stomach dropped to her feet; she'd never really thought that far ahead. She hadn't thought about any of those questions. "Well, I'm not sure." She answered quietly, her mind spinning.

"Yikes, you two really haven't talked about it."

Bo managed a smile, but she froze when they rounded a corner. Photographers aimed cameras at their faces, and TV reporters rushed forward, extending their black microphones. She couldn't believe they had tracked them down. She was so tired of reporters, and she realized she needed to be on guard all the time.

"Ms. Dennis, we'd love to talk to you about Senator Dennis."

Bo put her hand on Kenzi's back, and they turned, trying to ditch the reporters.

More questions were called at their backs as they fled.

"Is it true that Senator Dennis was broke? Where did his money go?"

"No comment!" Bo barked, shielding Kenzi, and walking briskly down the street, looking for the office building.

"Come on, Bo! Don't you want to set the record straight? Give us a comment!"

A burst of adrenaline pumped through her veins, as she glanced at Kenzi in dismay. She worried about her sister's emotional state and safety. She was pregnant after all.

A few minutes later, she spotted the building. She clutched Kenzi's hand and increased their pace, with the reporters still at their heels, shouting questions at them.

Bo swung the door open and let Kenzi enter first before she spun around to face the reporters. "We have no comment about anything. Just leave us alone." She yelled at them. She swirled around and hurried into the building.

When they got into the relative safety of the elevator, Bo breathed deeply, wondering when her world would stop spinning. She eyed her reflection in the elevator doors and tried to shake off her bad mood as the elevator took them up.

Kenzi leaned against the wall and drifted a hand down her belly. "That was scary."

Bo twisted around and looked Kenzi up and down. "Are you going to be all right?"

"We're fine, I swear. Just a little shaken up."

The elevator halted with a ping when they reached their floor, and the doors slid open to reveal a grand reception area.

"Nice place," Kenzi whispered stepping off the elevator.

While they waited, Bo checked her email, which was piling up with work messages. But most of those messages would have to wait. She emailed the DA's office to confirm that she'd be in court on her assigned day. Because of Harvey's death, they had been able to postpone Bo's deposition, but only by a few days.

She pocketed her phone and walked over to where Kenzi was sitting. But she was too anxious to sit herself. "None of this stuff with dad makes sense."

Kenzi glanced up and gave Bo a sad look. "Death never makes sense."

Bo paced the length of the waiting room. Moving always seemed to help her think. "There's too much clouded in mystery here."

"I know you love to get carried away, but a heart attack isn't a mysterious death," Kenzi said and smiled faintly. "You're a detective and trained to see all the bad stuff in the world. But I think you're seeing monsters where there are none. It's sad, but sometimes bad things just happen."

Bo's mouth fell open to respond, but the door across the room swung open stopping her.

"Ah, Bo Dennis, and Kenzi Santiago, I'm Fitzpatrick McCorrigan."

Bo crossed the room and took his outstretched hand, and was immediately followed by Kenzi.

He smiled at the sisters, and said, "I'll show you to my office, and my assistant can bring you some coffee," He paused and darted his eyes to Kenzi's belly, "Or water if you'd prefer." He then turned and walked into his office without giving them a chance to utter a word.

Inside the office, he waved a hand to the chairs in front of a large desk. Bo noted that all the furniture was far too big and too grand. Cherry wood shelves lined the office and were filled with crystal awards and fancy bowls. She guessed he had earned them over a long, successful career.

"So, would you like those drinks?" He asked waiting for them to sit down. They both declined, and he circled his desk while Kenzi and Bo sat.

"Jack was a dear friend, and I was heartbroken to hear of his passing. My condolences to you both." He appeared stricken for a moment before his lawyer face returned.

"I'm sorry, I'm confused," Bo said, giving Kenzi a look. "Who the hell is Jack?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, your father, Harvey. I've known him since he was a boy, and that's what the neighborhood called him back then. We stayed friendly, and I never stopped using that name, even though he did."

Bo's mouth opened in surprise, and Kenzi looked at Bo with equal surprise, and said, "I didn't know that."

Bo found that strange, as well as disturbing, that she had not heard of anyone using that name for her father. She was almost thirty and never once had she heard that. How many secrets did her father have?

"You weren't at the funeral." Bo started thinking like a cop, an occupational hazard. She glanced away from Kenzi and narrowed her eyes at him. "You couldn't have been that close."

"Sadly, I was out of the country. I only got back late last night."

"I knew your mother as well. Lovely woman." He shook his head. "So many awful tragedies for one family. I'm not surprised Jack didn't remarry. He always carried so much guilt over the accident that killed your mother."

"What are you talking about?" Kenzi asked with a distressed expression. "Why would he feel guilty about that?"

Mr. McCorrigan shifted uncomfortably. "When a man loses his wife he will always feel guilty that he couldn't save her."

He was lying, Bo knew it. For a lawyer, he was a terrible liar, and his nervous body language gave him away easily. He knew something he wasn't saying. But what? The story Bo heard about her mother's death was she was driving home in the rain and lost control of the car. She hit a tree and died instantly. Neither sister remembered her. And their father never talked about the night she died with them. It was a sore spot in their family, and they had actively avoided the subject. She turned angry with her father for his secrets and not sharing more with them. Then she became regretful for not asking more questions about her mother.

He started fiddling with some papers on his desk and said. "Let's proceed." And without delay, Mr. McCorrigan began to read.

"I, Harvey Jackson Dennis, being of very sound mind and body, devise, bequeath, and give all my worldly possessions to my darling daughters, Ysabeau Elizabeth Dennis, and MacKenzie Jane Santiago. This includes my house, its outbuildings, the entirety of their contents and the land on which they sit. This also includes the funds in all my accounts…." Mr. McCorrigan cleared his throat and stared at the papers in his hands. "This will was written a few years ago before he lost most of his money. His only remaining asset is his home, and the contains within it."

"Do you know what happened to all his money?" Bo asked, in full detective mode now. Bo didn't care about her inheritance. She just wanted answers about what could have happened to all of it.

"Over the last year most of his investments were liquidated but I can't say what happened to the cash." He said to her, giving her no real information to clear her confusion. "But his property is worth four million dollars, not including all the items inside. And should you choose to have an estate sale…"

Bo's snort interrupted him. "I don't care about the money. I want to know how he could have lost his fortune. I don't mean to be rude, but I need answers."

He tapped his lips with the end of his pen, staring directly at Bo. "I will say that he was running for reelection, which is expensive, perhaps he was self-funding his campaign."

"And why would he do that?" Bo questioned, using her interrogation voice.

"With respect, I cannot speak for your father. Campaign financial information is public record. If you have questions, I suggest you start there. I will say I'm surprised Ja- um Harvey didn't set up a trust fund for the two of you. It's highly unusual considering his former wealth."

"We never needed our father's money," Bo said, looking at Mr. McCorrigan directly, her eyes cutting. She hated that people assumed that because her father was rich that she would feel entitled to his money. She never did. Never wanted him to 'take care of her'.

Bo glanced at Kenzi, who added. "Our father wanted us to make our own way in the world. Earn our own money, like he did. But he was always willing to give us help if we asked." She shrugged, turning away from Bo. "He paid for my college and gave me money to start my business. He also bought me a house, so he was generous but only when we needed something. He didn't want us to waste our lives living off money someone else earned."

"Oh, yes, that sounds like Jack. He came from humble beginnings and built his empire on wits and hard work alone. I'm not surprised that he wished the same for his girls."

He cleared his throat and finished reading. The will was simple, since the only asset Harvey had left was his house.

He picked up a legal-sized manila folder and plopped it across the desk. "Copies of Harvey's official last will and testament. The deeds and the like are in that folder. It's yours to take."

XXXXXX

Lauren held Marshall awkwardly against her chest. The usually adorable infant was screaming like a banshee. Though, she had seen Marshall several times since his birth; that day would be the first time she would babysit him alone. More fussing and screaming ensued, and she wondered what she should do with something so loud and tiny all day.

"Is he okay," Lauren asked, peering down at the screaming bundle in her arms.

Ciara laughed, slinging her purse over her shoulder. "He's fine. He'll most likely calm down in a few minutes."

Lauren stared at Ciara before tucking him into the crook of her arm, hoping the position change might soothe him. It didn't. Marshall's face reddened and his screams grew louder by the second.

"I'll be back by 5," Ciara smiled sweetly at Lauren from the door. "Thanks for watching him. I really appreciate it."

Lauren followed her to the door. "No problem. I've cut down on my shifts at the clinic this week, so it's really no trouble." She said, as she rocked the baby cradled in her arms, which only served to upset him more. "We're going to have fun together."

The baby answered with a wail, and Lauren grimaced slightly. He certainly had a great pair of lungs on him.

Ciara pecked Marshall's cheek, smearing her lipstick a bit. "Bye-bye, sweetie." She glanced up at Lauren. "Call me if you need anything."

"I will," Lauren replied, standing at the doorway watching Ciara until she got into her car.

"It's just you and me now, little guy," Lauren told him, waving at Ciara before she shut the screen door.

Shifting Marshall, Lauren held him out away from her body. "Auntie Lauren has some work to do. You're going to be good, right?"

His screams went down to fussy gurgles and grunts, and Lauren smiled. But it didn't last long; more high-pitched cries escaped him. She brought him back to her body and began to pat his back. "I'll take that as a no."

Marshall wiggled in her arms, and Lauren started rocking from foot to foot. She wished she were better in the maternal department, but she never had any practice, unless you counted the pediatric rotation during her internship. But that was very different. As a doctor she had confidence in spades, she knew her role, knew what was expected of her. It was easy, simple. But outside of her role as a doctor, she felt lost with a baby. She simply didn't know what to do with a child. She was completely out of her element in this scenario. What did one do to entertain a child?

Lauren winced a little as Marshall's cries were reaching upper decibels. Caring for a baby was like her trying to do surgery with nothing but a butter knife and a stethoscope in the middle of a hurricane, blindfolded.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, signaling a text, but she ignored it.

Over the next half-hour, she tried a variety of things to calm him. She tried feeding him, but he didn't take the bottle, she checked his diaper, but it was dry. On and on she tried different things, but he simply cried, and cried.

She shifted him to her other shoulder and walked the crying baby into her very tiny study. She never did her work in there, but it was where she kept her books, journals. A terrible image came to her mind: her, trapped in the small house with a screaming infant of her own while she tried to get her work done. She gave Marshall a tight smile, trying to hide her uneasiness, but failing.

Her phone hummed again, and she finally peeked at the screen, adjusting Marshall's position in her arms. She had two messages, one from Dyson and one from Evony. Evony had been sending her salary quotes of increasing amounts. She would have been lying if she said she wasn't a little tempted. It was a lot of money. She didn't exactly make a lot working at the clinic, and Bo was grossly underpaid for the work she did. Not wanting to be tempted further, she decided to leave the Evony one unread and clicked open Dyson's.

 _Dyson: "How's it going?"_

"It's your daddy," Lauren said to the angry baby. She adjusted him so that she could send out her reply.

 _Lauren: "Great! Babysitting is so much fun."_

 _Dyson: "You're not fooling me. You'd rather be working."_

 _Lauren: "Funny."_

 _Dyson: "Good luck with my boy!"_

Lauren put her phone away and stood in her office with the crying baby in her arms. She felt clueless, helpless. If nothing else, the experience was reminding her why she was not ready to have children of her own.

XXXXX

After dropping Kenzi off, Bo headed to the station. Technically, she was still on leave, but she wanted to talk to Dyson. She couldn't shake her bad feeling, and mounting questions.

They had found Harvey Dennis dead in his limo, at home, and alone. Apparently, he had been writing some emails at the time. But why was he alone? The Senator was rarely ever alone. Where was Rainer, where was his security? Why was he doing business in his limo instead of going inside? Add to that his missing money. If this had been Bo's case, those were the questions she would be asking and investigating. It was basic police work. But once it was ruled that his death was from natural causes, the FBI had closed the case. Bo wouldn't have. It was lazy police work. She supposed they didn't want to deal with the scandal of a sitting senator's possible murder. Cut and dry that's what they wanted. But what about the truth? What about justice? In her experience, politicians were rarely clean, but Bo, honestly, thought her father was different. She didn't want to believe that her father was guilty of having dark secrets, but his missing money made her rethink what she thought she knew about him. But even if her father had secrets, he deserved better than a swiftly closed investigation.

Bo found Dyson and Tamsin sitting at his desk hunched over a case file.

"Hi, got a minute?"

"Sure," Dyson swiveled around, rolled a chair from a nearby desk, and motioned her into it. "Is this about the Reed case? You're testifying tomorrow, right?"

"Yes, I mean, no I'm not here about that," Bo said, taking a seat in the chair, which wobbled slightly.

"Sorry about your dad," Tamsin said, tentatively. She didn't want her words to drag up shitty feelings for Bo, but she thought she should say something.

A flash of annoyance crossed Bo's features, but she faked a smile to conceal it. She was tired of hearing that, but she didn't want to be rude, and she knew Tamsin meant well.

"Your wife is watching my son today. Hope she doesn't bore him." Dyson said, sensing Bo needed a lighter topic than her father's death. "Ciara said she seemed pretty freaked out when he was crying."

Tamsin snickered. "I don't blame her. Babies are freaky. I like kids. Other people's kids are great as long as the parents are around."

"So, you aren't planning on having any babies?" Dyson couldn't help but tease Tamsin.

Tamsin shrank into her chair. "Of course not. I'm never drinking the baby Kool-Aid this group is passing around. I'm thankfully immune to baby fever."

"I sort of got catapulted into this life. But I love it."

"Look at our Dyson living a picket fence life. Are you getting a minivan, next?" Tamsin said lightheartedly.

"Why not?" Dyson turned to Bo, who sat silently beside him. "I know this is pure selfishness on my part, but I'd like you and Lauren's kid to grow up with my son. Like Lauren and Dyson, part two. So, when are we going to get a Bo and Lauren baby into this family?"

Bo groaned, wondering how the conversation had gone to the baby topic. "We're waiting. Or we haven't decided if we even want kids." She said, growing impatient. She was starting to feel pressure about the kid thing. It was a personal decision for her and Lauren, so why did everyone think they could offer their opinions about it?

"We got stuck with the rookie while you're gone. We sent him out for a lunch run." Tamsin said to Bo, steering the conversation to shallower, safer waters.

Bo rolled her eyes, not in the mood to talk about Mark. "He's annoying. I'm not sorry he's not here."

Tamsin and Dyson continued to joke around about Mark. Bo sat there, letting her brain sort through her growing questions, trying to piece together her father's death, which was becoming more complicated the more she thought about it.

"Something doesn't sit right with me about my dad," Bo said, suddenly sick of the idle chitchat, of avoiding the subject. "I don't think it was a heart attack. In my gut, I believe he was murdered, and it has something to do with his missing money. It all seems so….planned." She darted her eyes between them. "None of this seems odd to you two?"

Tamsin and Dyson's eyes widened at what Bo had just revealed to them.

"Why would the pathologist say it had been a heart attack, then?" Tamsin dared to ask, and Bo shot her a glare in response.

"I haven't seen the autopsy report." Bo rubbed the tension from her neck, and shifted her eyes to Dyson. "As his next of kin I should be getting a copy but that could take awhile, and the forensic pathologist hasn't returned any of my calls. Maybe I should send Lauren down to his office to talk with him."

"You think that's a good idea? Pulling Lauren into this?" Dyson asked, dropping his voice to a whisper. "You're talking about messing with an FBI case."

That sparked Bo's temper, and she lifted her chin. "It's within our rights as family members to look at that report. And I trust Lauren more than some random person. Someone who could have been paid off." She crossed her arms, daring her friends to keep questioning her. They did.

"Bo, be real." Dyson twisted his hands together, as he sorted through what she was suggesting to him. It was a lot to process. To take in. "You're talking about a conspiracy of what both the FBI and the pathologist? That's a serious accusation."

Blinking, Bo shifted in her chair. Dyson's warning was crystal clear, but Bo wasn't willing to back down. "No, I think the FBI was lazy in their investigating. They closed this case way too fast. There are legit questions here, and you know it."

"Who would kill your father, and why?" Tamsin asked, growing more interested in the mystery by the second.

"I'm not sure. But there are more than a few possibilities." Bo flashed Dyson a look, and he was scowling. "Until Lauren looks at the autopsy report I won't believe it was simply a heart attack. I won't."

Dyson's head fell back over the back of his chair. "Shit, Bo."

"I'm sure the FBI prefers the story of him dying from natural causes. A heart attack is easy to wrap up. Ends the story neatly." Tamsin said, sounding considerably more reasonable to Bo than Dyson.

Bo smiled at Tamsin for her support, and then jerked her head to Dyson. "Come on, Dyson. A senator dies, and the case is closed in under a week, that suspicious as hell." Dyson's hesitation was starting to anger her. She needed her old partner with her on this.

"I want to question Rainer." Bo rushed out, her mind already working ahead to her next move. "He was always by Harvey's side, so why wasn't he with him that night? Where was his bodyguard? That's a red flag right there. I need to dig into Rainer's character, his history. Did those FBI bureaucrats even question Rainer? I bet they didn't. How many people were on the property at the time? Did they interview the staff?" She emphasized her questions by tapping a finger on Dyson's desk.

Dyson looked at her, and then at Tamsin, who just shrugged. He took a deep breath, his body tense as he leaned forward toward Bo. "This isn't your case. I know he was your father, but you could get in trouble. Get Lauren in trouble. If, and that's a big if, your father was murdered, the murder of a federal official is FBI territory."

"I understand all that, but getting answers is the right thing to do. There's a time to fight and a time to bow out. This is a time to fight for answers."

For a long moment, Dyson thought about it, while rubbing his chin. "I respect your judgment on this, and I'll keep an open mind. So, what do you need from me?"

Bo shot him a grateful smile. Then, she reached into her pocket and pulled out Rainer's business card and handed it to Dyson. "Will you please run a background check on Rainer? He discovered the body and was on the property at the time of his death. I'd do it myself, but I'm on bereavement leave."

Bo waited for Dyson to refuse, to tell her she was crazy. But he just nodded, a brief and decisive gesture.

XXXXX

Finally home, Bo peered down at Lauren sleeping, sprawled out on the living room floor. Lauren looked so peaceful, so adorable and an uncontrollable smile engulfed her face as her spirits lifted. Lauren brought a calmer, softer element into her life, which she was grateful for, and seeing her was exactly what she needed. It helped to ease her frazzled nerves and forget about the woes and memories of her day.

Then, her eyes wandered to the tiny person sleeping on a quilt next to Lauren. Quickly, images of children, their children, flooded her mind, but just as quickly the little fantasy shattered.

Quietly, so as not to disturb either of them, Bo kneeled down next to Lauren. Who would have thought that just watching her wife sleep could be one of the highlights of her day?

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Lauren whispered, with her eyes still closed.

Bo laughed but cupped her mouth, not wanting to wake the sleeping baby. "I thought you were asleep." She whispered through her hands.

Lauren opened her eyes and smiled up at Bo. "Just taking a little impromptu nap, but I heard you come in."

Lauren waved for Bo to join them, and Bo laid on the floor and snuggled against Lauren, utterly content after her long day. Lauren smelled incredible like she always did. She'd missed her so badly that day, and it was so nice to have her that close. "I could just look at you all day."

Lauren chuckled as she relaxed into Bo, shifting her body, so her back pressed against Bo's front with Bo spooning her.

"It's true. I could."

After a little while, Lauren could feel Bo playing with her hair, winding it around her fingers. It was soothing but threatened to coax her back to sleep. "How'd it go?" She asked, tilting her head back so she could look at Bo.

Bo really wanted to talk to Lauren about her father and her suspicions. But she was tired and didn't want to burden Lauren just yet. "I'll fill you in later," Bo said. She leaned forward, braced on her elbow and planted a kiss on Lauren's lips. "I want to hear about your adventures in babysitting."

Lauren turned to look at the baby, and Bo rested her chin on Lauren's shoulder and caressed her thigh as she waited to hear about Lauren's day. She did that a lot, touching her absently whenever they were close. It was like she couldn't help it. When Lauren was near, she always wanted more.

"It was….exhausting," Lauren said, a sigh heavy on her lips. "Nothing I did seemed to make him happy."

"But he's asleep now."

"Yes, finally. Watching a baby is a bit like an experiment. You hypothesize his needs, test your theory and adjust based on results. Marshall was a difficult case, but no I wouldn't let him break me, after a few hours of trial-and-error situations I settled on a solution. I took him outside for a walk, and he soaked up some vitamin D and went right to sleep." She turned around to face Bo. "Everything takes time. And it just took me some time to figure out his personality and quirks."

Bo smirked and leaned over Lauren to gaze down at Marshall. "Did babysitting make you change your mind about kids?" She asked, catching Lauren a bit off guard.

Lauren stiffened and caught Bo's eyes, to gauge whether or not she was serious. She wasn't sure.

"Why are you asking me that? I thought we decided to table that discussion."

"Don't panic. I was just teasing you." Bo said back to her with laughter in her voice. "You lead on this, and I follow, babe."

Lauren snorted out a nervous sound. She searched for a new topic, any other topic besides babies, and children. "What do you want to do for your birthday? Thirty's a big one."

"I'll let you know," Bo said, a slight grin on her lips.

"Oh," Lauren's eyes moved over Bo's face. "I was certain some sex joke would follow my question. Some outfit or position request."

"Guess I'm losing my touch," Bo said, as she gently pushed Lauren back, fitting her body on top of Lauren's. "But if you're offering I think I can come up with some creative ideas."

Lauren let out a laugh. "I hope you never change. I kind of enjoy your dirty mind."

Bo's eyes spoke of desire, but also playfulness. "Oh, so you love my dirty mouth and want to hear my suggestions? Well, I would enjoy licking birthday cake off your naked body. Followed by hours of mad, passionate sex, and of course, we'd end up in a long, slow, sensuous shower to clean you…or you could just sit on my fa-" She was interrupted when Lauren brought a finger to her lips.

"And what about a party?" Lauren whispered, keeping her finger in place to silence Bo.

Bo smiled at Lauren, as big and brilliant as she could manage, and Lauren removed her finger. "Okay, but nothing too big," She kissed Lauren. "and I request," She kissed her again, "our own private party afterward." With one last kiss, she drew back.

"Deal," Lauren said, with her eyes trained on Bo's mouth as she hovered above her. She lifted her head to nip at Bo's juicy bottom lip. "Do you think we could always remain this happy even with our own baby around?" She asked, and immediately felt silly. The question had escaped her without thinking.

Bo slipped her hand under Lauren's shirt, absentmindedly caressing Lauren's stomach with her thumb. "I'd say almost always."

Bo lowered her lips, and Lauren closed her eyes to bask in the kiss, in the feel of Bo tenderly loving her. The baby stirred next to them, but Lauren barely heard him. She was too busy getting wrapped up in Bo.

An unfiltered moan from Lauren prompted an answering groan from Bo as she lifted her head. She glanced at the baby, who was staring up at her with big eyes. "Baby's up."

After a beat, Lauren sighed and kissed Bo lightly on the lips.

Bo hastily slid off Lauren, and she scrubbed her hands down her face. "Would you have time tomorrow to go with Kenzi to my father's house? She wanted to go through some of his things, and I'm swamped."

Lauren shifted to a sitting position as she quickly thought through her schedule. She had work to do, but nothing that couldn't wait. "Um, sure. I can do that. Whatever you need."

Bo reached for Lauren's hand and kissed it a few times. "You're the best wife, ever. Never forget that."

Bo went to pick up the baby but heard her phone ringing in her pocket. She reached for it and saw that it was Dyson. "I need to take this." She told Lauren, standing quickly.

Lauren watched Bo hurry out of the room before she scooped Marshall up. An ominous silence suddenly fell, and Lauren peered down at Marshall. She held her breath as she stared at him, waiting for what she sensed was coming next. A moment later, his face scrunched up, and he began to cry.

XXXXX

"What'd you find out?" Bo asked after she accepted the call.

"No real red flags in his past. On paper, he's a boy scout. But he's disappeared, vanished without a trace."

"Shit. I should have realized something was wrong when he wasn't at the funeral. But…well…I was distracted."

"Don't worry about that; it was your father's funeral." Dyson's voice was kind and gentle.

"Do you think you could get a judge to subpoena his bank records? And a warrant to search his home and office?"

Bo heard Dyson sigh, and she glared at the phone.

"Under what grounds? It's a closed case. There's no evidence of a crime here. People are allowed to leave town. It's not police business."

"It's too coincidental. A mysterious death, millions of dollars missing, an assistant's sudden disappearance, what more do we need?" She took a breath but didn't wait for Dyson's reply. "Harvey was broke but didn't sell his 4 million dollar property. Why keep all that money locked up in his house if he knew he was broke? My bet is he had no idea his money was gone. As his assistant Rainer would have access to his accounts."

Dyson was silent for a long moment before he said, "I'll check with the A.D.A, but my sense is she'll need more to go on than that."

Bo's hand tightened around her cell phone, because Dyson was right. "I'll figure something out. Now that I know Rainer's gone, that puts him at the top of my suspect list."

 **XXXXX**

 **AN**

 **Next up: Lauren and Kenzi get some answers about Harvey while searching his house.**

 **Thanks for reading and reviewing.**


	6. Chapter 6

Bo was preoccupied with her laptop on her legs, sitting on the bed. She was researching financial information connected to her father's campaign, and just as she had thought Harvey was not self-financing. He was a popular senator with plenty of people willing to donate to help get him elected. That information made her more confident that Rainer was involved with the whole thing somehow.

She'd done nothing but think about a million scenarios about what could have happened to her father. She was reading through some information on Rainer that Dyson had sent her. The goal was to use the information to get a better sketch of him, and to understand his motivations. If it were true and Rainer had really been involved in her father's death, she needed to get a better understanding of him. She was distracted and barely heard Lauren from the bathroom.

"I'm going to go take a shower."

The statement went unanswered as, at that moment, Bo was busy with her eyes focused on the computer.

Voice low, Lauren stared at Bo, and said, "A looooong shower. I'm filthy you know." She lazily trailed her fingers along the doorframe, but Bo didn't look up from her computer.

"Okay, babe, sounds great," Bo answered absently as she rolled her fingers over the keyboard, thinking about her next move.

"A hot shower, very hot, with a lot of soap so I can clean every inch of my dirty body." Lauren waited for Bo to react but she didn't. "There might be a lot of rubbing while I clean myself."

After staring at Bo in silence for a long minute, Lauren slipped off her clothes and tossed them right at Bo in a final attempt to get her attention.

Lauren's shirt and shorts went airborne and landed limply next to Bo. Bo chewed on the inside of her lips and ran her hand over her hair. She hoped she could track down Rainer so she could get some of her questions answered. But she wasn't stupid. She knew the odds of her finding Rainer without the FBI's help were slim to none. A growing sense of unease rushed through her. Something was brewing under the surface of all this. Something she was missing.

With a huff, Lauren twisted around and went back inside the bathroom.

Bo heard the bathroom door close and the shower turn on. She tried to read the screen in front of her. But then her imagination got the best of her. The steamy bathroom, the soap bubbles. And one wet, and very naked woman. Her wet, and very naked woman. Her head jerked away from the computer screen to the bathroom door, picturing Lauren under the spray of the water, moving her hands over her bare skin. Her body went hot as she tried to reroute her thoughts back to her research. But she couldn't focus as she continued to listen to the water and the torturously erotic vision of Lauren kept filtering through her mind.

Halfway through Lauren's shower, the curtain jerked open. Lauren yelped in surprise and saw Bo standing outside in only a towel.

"Excuse me; I'm in here," Lauren said with feigned haughtiness.

"I can see that."

With Bo looking at her with eager eyes filled with desire and the warm water from the shower cascading over her skin, Lauren let her wet hands run down her body, wiping away the soap. Bo's eyes followed every move, and she dropped her towel, leaving her naked in the middle of the bathroom.

"Can I help you?"

"You undoubtedly can," Bo said, inching closer. "But first, I'd appreciate it if you could stop being so sexy because I don't know how much more I can take."

Lauren let out the most adorable little fake yawn Bo had ever seen and pretended to scowl. "Go away. You're too late." She snapped the curtain closed in front of Bo.

Bo opened the curtain right away, wetting her lips as she got another glimpse of Lauren's naked, soaked body. She allowed herself an extra few seconds to appreciate all that fine, female yumminess before her. "You are the most beautiful, ethereal, and breathtaking woman I've ever met and I profusely apologize for my lateness. But I was working and got distracted. Let me join you."

Lauren's firm mouth flattened and then the corner twitched into a half-smile before she shut the curtain on Bo's face without a word.

Bo stared at the outline of Lauren's body through the curtain. "Be sensible, woman!" Her voice held a playful note.

Lauren peeked her head through the curtain. A full smile filled her face, knowing she had won that round of teasing. "I'm afraid I cannot." She tried to shut the curtain, but Bo caught it in her hand.

Bo's gaze drifted down Lauren's body, lingering on the dip of her lower back and curve of her backside. "Let me make it up to you." Her eyes lifted over Lauren's slim waist, small but firm breasts until finally, her gaze landed on Lauren's eyes.

"How?" Lauren asked, giving Bo an ornery grin.

Silence hung between them as anticipation filled Bo's body. Lauren was playing with her. She knew it and loved the little game. Her gorgeous wife was having too much fun egging her on.

"I could wash your hair for you."

"It's already done," Lauren said and turned off the shower.

"You play dirty." Bo lamented jokingly, glaring at the shower. "Getting my hopes up like that."

The disappointment on Bo's face was almost comical, but Lauren didn't laugh. Her eyes turned wide and innocent as she stepped out and reached for her towel but Bo snatched it up first.

"Give me my towel."

"Come and get it," Bo tossed her head back and let out a boisterous chuckle, holding it out of Lauren's reach.

For a long minute, they stared at each other, having a standoff while completely naked. Bo's amusement over the situation burst free so hard she snorted a laugh. Her expression cleared, and Lauren glared back at her. The way Lauren looked at her was so damned sexy. It made Bo bite her bottom lip.

"When you look at me like that, I can practically see what you're thinking."

Lauren folded her arms, careful to leave her breasts visible. "No, you can't."

Bo's dimples flashed as she inched closer to Lauren. "Oh yes, I can."

Eyes glinting in challenge, Lauren's hands fell to land on her hips. "You know what? I don't need my towel."

Bo raised her eyebrows, and her lips curled. She reached for Lauren, but she swatted Bo's hand away, making her laugh.

Lauren tried to slip past Bo, but Bo's arms hooked around her, stopping her. Lauren laughed and tried to wriggle from Bo's hold, but her grip only tightened. Bo's other hand slid up Lauren's back and pulled her close. She dotted kisses on Lauren's jaw and down her neck. Her skin was slick from the shower, and Lauren tilted her head back. "You taste good," Bo said her lips brushing Lauren's skin. "All over," She then opened her mouth wide over Lauren's.

Lauren's hands came up to Bo's shoulders, and she clung to her as she kissed her deeply. She let go of her playful resistance as Bo took possession of every inch of her.

Eventually, Bo's lips left hers. She moved her face down to Lauren's chest, feathering her lips over the crest of Lauren's cleavage, and then pressing needy kisses to the tops of her breasts. Her hand traveled down; her fingertips traced the line of Lauren's spine. "I love this curve right here," She murmured, dipping one finger into the curve at the small of Lauren's back. "Perfect."

"Bo." Lauren moaned Bo's name, and Bo hoisted Lauren up and deposited her onto the bathroom sink. Her fingers brushed across her knees, spreading Lauren's legs open as far as they'd go. Finding Lauren's lips, Bo pressed herself hard up against her. It didn't take long before the blinding rush of desire swept through them both.

XXXXX

Half running and half jogging, Bo climbed the majestic steps up to the courthouse. At the top, she checked her reflection in the window. She was dressed in a black leather, knee-length pencil skirt, and a shiny silk black blouse. Her hair was pulled back into a high bun with her makeup subtle. It was her standard day in court outfit. Satisfied with her appearance she pulled open the door, holding herself with confidence.

After passing through the massive front doors, she headed straight for security, finding Dyson waiting for her.

"Right on time, boss," Dyson said, clapping Bo on the back. "It's a big day. A lot rides on your testimony."

Bo stumbled to a halt; her eyes took on a hardness when they settled on Dyson. Spending the morning making passionate love to Lauren had taken away some of her stress about testifying, but Dyson's words brought it all back up.

"Oh, thanks for reminding me of that."

It was just too easy to get Bo riled up that afternoon, so Dyson backpedaled. "Sorry, at least we'll be able to put this behind us soon."

They passed through security and walked into the lobby of the courthouse. It was a large old building with massive white columns and a grand staircase leading up to the many floors above. The criminal courtroom was off to the left wing of the building, and Bo walked with Dyson in that direction.

Standing with her hands on her hips, the DA was talking to her team of prosecutors. Bo wanted to talk to her about Rainer and Harvey, but she didn't look very happy, so Bo decided it wasn't the best time. She knew it would take a lot of convincing and she needed her in the right mindset to convince her to get the warrants.

"Good, you're here," Brianna Campbell, the DA said, her face drawn and tense. "We have a problem."

A brick of dread began to form in the middle of Bo's gut. "Problem?" She asked, blowing out slowly.

"What happened?" Dyson questioned as he crossed his arms and set his jaw.

"In all my years…" Brianna shook her head from side to side and then checked her watch. "We better get in there." She spun away from Dyson and Bo into the courtroom, not giving them any details.

Bo turned to Dyson, and he shrugged. Both sighing, they followed her into the courtroom to find out the bad news.

The DA set her briefcase on the prosecutor's table, and Bo and Dyson took their seats behind her. Doug was already there, looking clean cut in a dark blue Brioni suit and white shirt. A stark contrast to the wild looking man she had arrested that night, with his scruffy hair, and blood soaked clothes. It was all a show for the jury, to make him appear like a nice and respectable man. His father, Clayton Reed, sat behind him in the front row of the galley, staring at his phone, acting like he was bored with the whole situation.

Minutes later, the bailiff instructed them to rise, and the judge entered the courtroom, taking his place behind the bench. The judge sat atop the mahogany dais and scanned his courtroom. All eyes were on him, waiting for him to begin.

When he seemed satisfied he had everyone's attention, the Judge began to speak, "It seems an emergency has arisen in the jury. Six of the jurors have taken ill with a stomach virus and have been rushed to the hospital. Two of which are in critical condition…"

Pinching her lips in disgust, Bo's eyes went right to Doug Reed. He sat at the defense table and not a muscle on his body moved, he gave no reaction to the Judge's statement. As Bo watched him she couldn't control the way her legs were shaking, so she sat back in her chair and crossed one leg over the other a few times. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Would Mr. Reed be willing to agree to an abbreviated jury?" The judge asked addressing the defense counsel.

Doug's attorneys shook their heads in unison. "The defendant has a constitutional right to a trial by a jury of twelve."

"Therefore, the Court has no other choice but to call a mistrial."

The judge and the DA started a back and forth in legalese. All Bo kept hearing was mistrial, and she was on the verge of a full-fledged panic attack. Doug had been a shadow that had loomed over her and Dyson for months, and with a mistrial, she wouldn't be able to put him and the case behind her for many more months.

Finally, the judge asked for the prosecution's recommendation for release.

Brianna stood tall and addressed the judge. "We recommend that the state holds the defendant without bail until a new trial can be scheduled. The defendant is facing three premeditated first-degree murder charges. Add to that the attempted murder of Detective Dennis. He is a flight risk and a danger to society."

One of the defense attorneys stood up. "Your Honor, to deny my client bail would be preposterous. He owns real estate in this county, has family here, and let me remind the court that Mr. Reed has not been convicted of any crime, and he is innocent until proven guilty. Scheduling a retrial could take months, and it would be unjust to hold him indefinitely."

"I am going to grant the defense's request for release. Bail will be set at three million dollars. And Mr. Reed will surrender his passport."

"Your honor. I humbly request…"

"Denied." The judge banged his gavel, giving Ms. Campbell a stern look. "That is my ruling."

Clayton Reed leaned forward and whispered something into the attorney's ear while Bo watched. He had made a lifelong career of intimidating people, of getting his way through money and power, the stuff of tabloid legend. When he settled back, he met Bo's eyes, and a faint smile flickered across his strong mouth.

Rage shot through Bo's bloodstream, making her careless. She started to rise from her seat, intent on walking over there and slapping that smile off Clayton's face. But a firm grip on her shoulder held her back.

"Don't." Dyson murmured, glaring at her. "Getting yourself locked up won't do any good."

Dyson's words pulled her back from her rage because he was right. She slumped back into her seat and let out a series of curses under her breath.

"Your Honor, we will have that sum deposited in the court's registry within the hour." The Defense attorney declared, patting Doug on the back.

Doug Reed would be free within a few hours, and Bo felt like she was going to be sick. No judge would ever allow a defendant out on bail with those charges without some serious justification. They would never want to take a chance of looking bad if something went wrong, and a suspect fled. Did the Reed's own this judge? Had Clayton used his influence on him? She hated thinking that, but she knew corruption existed within the court system. Stories about crooked officials or jurors being blackmailed or bribed circled the station on a monthly basis. But it was scary to think that a judge could have been bought. As far as she knew, this judge had never had any hint of impropriety in his courtroom. And with her father's death on her mind maybe she was starting to get a little paranoid about conspiracies. But perhaps not.

In her career, there were things she had control over, and those she didn't. She knew that and had known it for a long time. But for the first time she thought about handing in her badge and getting out of the game, finding a new career. What was the point in fighting for justice when guilty criminals could just walk free? Why was she risking her life working within a system that didn't always work? A system that could be corrupted with power and money. She had become a detective to uphold justice, to fight for victims, but she started questioning if all the sacrifices she made for her career were worth it. Those and many more questions rushed through her head, as she glared at the smug expressions on Doug and Clayton's faces.

XXXXX

Elsewhere, Kenzi stood in the threshold of Harvey's office and reached for the light switch. She flicked it on, and the entire area was bathed in a soft, glittering light from a very expensive chandelier.

There was an oak desk that sat in the middle of the room; it was clean with not a piece of paper out of place. A decorative rug covered most of the floor. A dark leather couch sat next to the floor-to-ceiling bookcases on the left of the room. Kenzi could see her father everywhere her eyes landed and the more she looked, the more it hurt. She remembered his face, his kindness, the way he spoke and moved.

"Oh, dad, I wish you were here," Kenzi whispered as Lauren walked up behind her with her arms full of empty boxes.

Lauren's heart broke a little as she shot Kenzi a quick glance of sympathy and a small smile. She sat down the boxes she was holding and waited for Kenzi to give her instructions. She felt somewhat out of place being the one with Kenzi cleaning out Harvey's office and not Bo, but she wanted to be there for Kenzi, so she ignored any uncomfortable feelings.

Walking further into the room, Kenzi laid down a notebook on a nearby side table. "It's a grief journal." She told Lauren when she noticed her looking at it.

Lauren put a hand on her sister-in-law's shoulder; her eyes were sad for her. "That's an excellent way to work through what's happened."

Kenzi shrugged. "It's no big deal." She sighed, missing Bo and Hale but happy that at least Lauren was with her. "It's supposed to help speed up the healing process, and I want to be healed before the baby comes."

"If it helps, I think it's a great idea. Writing your feelings down will help you find ways to turn your memories into something you can celebrate, rather than something that pulls you down."

Kenzi put her left hand on her rounded belly and stepped aimlessly around the office. "I think all we can do is move forward. I've accepted that dad's gone. And I want to be happy. He would want that. But something's still not right at times. I still cry at night."

"Well, you're still grieving. Be kind to yourself, Kenzi. Before everyone and everything else, take care of yourself."

Kenzi lowered herself into the desk chair, brushing the edge with her stomach. She still underestimated the bulk of her swollen, pregnant self. "How are things going with my sister? We had a talk about babies, and she said you two don't really talk about it. Don't most people have that conversation before getting married?"

Lauren decided to skip over the baby topic because she was growing exhausted with having that conversation over and over again. Everyone was starting to sound like a broken record, and she didn't want to discuss it. It was a personal decision that others shouldn't have a say in. "We're good. I think she's doing alright considering…"

"Are you afraid of being pregnant?" Kenzi interrupted with a little laugh. "Is that why you don't like talking about it? Because I can tell you, it's not so bad. Sometimes it sucks, but there are some perks, you get to eat whenever you want, for one."

Frowning, Lauren's mouth dropped open. "What makes you think I would be the one getting pregnant?" She folded her arms, turning defensive. "Did Bo say something to you?"

"No, I just assumed," Kenzi said and started pulling out the desk drawers. She found it filled with seemingly useless papers and closed it again. "Knowing Bo like I do, I think deep down she wants kids, but I don't believe she'd want to get pregnant."

Lauren scoffed, trying not to feel insulted by Kenzi's assumptions. She began to tape one of the boxes she had brought, without continuing the conversation. She realized that she and Bo needed to sit their friends and family down and tell them to flat out stop butting in where they had no rights. She knew they meant well, that it all came from a good place, but the misguided advice had to stop because the constant badgering was starting to upset her.

They spent the next hour going through Harvey's things. Lauren took the job of compiling a list of what books to keep and which to donate to a local charity as Kenzi was having a hard time making decisions. It was distressing to go through the contents of a person's life, but it was a job that needed to be done, so Lauren took a practical approach to the situation reminding Kenzi that she didn't need all those books and that Harvey would appreciate them donating them.

Kleenex littered the desk as Kenzi had broken down several times as they sorted through her father's belongings. "It's weird to think Bo, and I grew up with so much privilege. You'd think we'd be snobs or something." She commented, flicking through a book on the desk. "Maybe we both don't care about money because we were surrounded by it our whole lives."

"Well, I don't think the way someone was brought up always defines them as a person." Lauren began stacking the boxes and noticed Kenzi's puffy red eyes. She had been in the zone working and hadn't noticed that Kenzi was crying. "I know how difficult this must be for you. You know we can come back another day if you'd like."

Kenzi shook her head from side to side. "It's all just so sad. Thinking about selling the only tangible tie we have to our childhood, to our father. This house is part of our family legacy, and it's weird to think about a stranger owning it. But I can't afford the cost to keep this place up, and I don't believe that you guys can either."

"That's very true." Lauren glanced around the resplendent office. "I can't imagine the monthly cost of maintaining a property of this size."

Lauren began carrying a few boxes out to her car, and Kenzi moved toward her father's safe, the combination was included with the papers they had gotten from the lawyer. She reached forward and turned the dial a few times putting in the numbers.

She saw a stack of extra-large manila envelopes and started pulling them out. She flipped them over, inspecting each one and then moving on to the next. None were labeled. In the back was a large jewelry box, and she wondered if that had belonged to her mother. Wanting to open that with Bo, she sat it aside while she focused on the first envelope.

Inside, she found a stack of papers and pulled them out, one by one. It was various legal documents, passports, birth certificates, and such.

In the next envelope, she found a thick black journal. She plucked it out and examined the worn cover. It felt strange holding the private journal that had once belonged to her father.

Curiosity got the better of her, so she flipped through it, and half the pages were empty as if her father had given up writing at some point. The ink on the page was clear and strong, not faded at all, as she would have expected. She didn't recognize the handwriting as her father's, but she assumed that it was written years before, and his style of writing had changed over the years.

"I didn't know dad kept a journal." Kenzi idly remarked to Lauren, who had just walked back into the office.

Kenzi flipped to the last entry, between the pages was a small sealed envelope with her and Bo's names on it. Kenzi unsealed it and pulled out a tri-folded letter. With trembling hands, she unfolded it, and skimmed quickly from side-to-side, devouring her father's words.

XXXXX

Bo was happy to see Lauren waiting outside the restaurant for her. She had been stewing for hours about Doug's release. She was so angry she almost trembled with it. In a very hard workout, she had tried to vent her frustration, but all she felt was exhausted afterwards, but not very much better. She couldn't handle the amount of stress she was dealing with right then, and she needed Lauren's soothing presence to calm her down. Lauren could always make everything all right.

Lauren smiled up at her when she heard Bo approach. "How was your day?"

Without answering, Bo sat next to Lauren, hands clasped together in her lap, trying to suppress the tension she felt inside. Too much was on her mind, like the mistrial, her father, Rainer. They sat side-by-side for the next few minutes, watching people wandering down the street in front of them.

Lauren could see Bo's uneasiness, so she tried to interrupt her thoughts. "Are you hungry?"

Bo leaned into Lauren's body, taking her hand, and whispered to her, "You look lovely tonight. Did I mention that?"

"Thank you, but what happened?" Lauren asked, with a slightly exasperated tone. Bo seemed distracted and not listening to a word she was saying. "No need to hide anything, not from me."

Lauren felt Bo stiffen beside her.

"I had a really shitty day. I'm emotionally exhausted." Abruptly, Bo stood and looked down at Lauren. "Let's go take a walk. I can't eat right now."

Lauren rose, and Bo put an arm around her waist and led her down the sidewalk. It was a warm evening, with a slight breeze that felt wonderful. As they walked, they talked about nothing important, both avoiding the topics they needed to discuss. When they ran out of light things to say, Bo finally recounted what happened at the trial.

Lauren stopped and looked into Bo's face, fear in her eyes. "That's absurd. How could they release him? He shot you!"

"I'm not happy about it, but there's nothing to do until the DA tries him again."

That didn't dismiss Lauren's lingering anxieties, and her stomach tightened worrying that Doug might retaliate against Bo. "What if he comes after you?"

"He won't. But I'm not helpless here." Bo said, trying to keep her tone confident. "I don't really think there's cause to worry, but I promise to keep an eye out, okay?"

It wasn't okay, but Lauren wasn't sure what else they could do. One little detail kept bothering Lauren, so she asked, "So do you think they did something to those jurors? To cause a mistrial?"

"I don't know. But it wouldn't surprise me." Bo wrapped her arms around Lauren, engulfing her in a hug.

Lauren relaxed into Bo. She didn't ask any more questions, didn't voice her apprehensions. She sensed that despite Bo's bravado, there were parts of her that could start crumbling under the weight of everything she'd endured over the past few weeks. And she knew the letter in her bag would put more stress onto Bo. She had to stay strong for Bo because she didn't want Bo to have to carry her along with everything else.

Bo pulled away first, with a fresh smile on her face. "Come on, let's eat." She said, guiding Lauren back towards the restaurant.

Typically, Lauren would have found the smells and sounds of the restaurant soothing. The lighting was soft and warm, with elegant décor and furniture, it all gave the guests a sense of romance, but she was still uneasy about her conversation with Bo, and Harvey's letter, and she wasn't able to enjoy the atmosphere.

At the table, the server walked up with a bottle of white wine and two glasses. He poured it and left them to look at the menu.

Lauren reached out and took a sip of the wine. It went down smooth and started to calm her nerves. The letter in Lauren's bag felt heavy on her mind. She wasn't sure it was the right time to give it to Bo, but she couldn't keep it from her.

"There's something you should see," Lauren said and dug through her bag until she found the letter. "I know you've had a bad day, but I think you need to open it."

Putting her menu down, Bo took the letter from Lauren and flipped it over to look at the broken seal. She shifted her eyes to Lauren. "What is this?"

"We found it in your father's safe. Kenzi wanted me to give it to you. She was too upset to talk about it. I think she needs time."

For seconds, Bo said nothing, she simply stared at the letter. Opening the flap, Bo carefully pulled the letter free. She instantly recognized her father's slanted script. Her heart raced as she started to read her dad's words.

 _Dear Bo and Kenzi,_

 _I wish I didn't have to write these words to you. There are things that happened in my life that I wish hadn't occurred. Some things I've done, I wish I hadn't. But some mistakes can't always be fixed. That's life._

 _Smarter men than me have remarked that carrying a secret actually feels like you're carrying a physical burden. Only when your sins are confessed can one decrease that load. That is why I'm divulging my secret here to my daughters._

 _I'm sorry. I'm so incredibly sorry. I am responsible for your mother's death._

 _I remember everything that happened. It was late autumn when the crash happened. We'd been at a late night party, celebrating with some friends. I was exhausted, but I chose to drive. The night was pitch-black when a sudden downpour hit hard. In what seemed like seconds, an inch of water was on the street and obscured my vision. Everything was fine until I hit a pool of freestanding water, and the car started hydroplaning. Without thinking, I slammed on the brakes sending the car spinning. I had no control over the car when we crashed right into the tree._

 _Everything went black after that, and when I finally woke I discovered my wife, your mother, didn't survive the crash._

 _I hadn't been drinking, and I wasn't on drugs. But the fact was, I was driving the car when I was exhausted, and driving down a road that I didn't know very well, during the rain. Maybe I had been driving too fast, too carelessly._

 _Any scandal would be a problem for a politician, and I chose to bury my involvement in the accident with the help of an old friend. Why? Because I was ambitious and selfish, a coward. My dream was to serve my country as a well-respected senator. I didn't want my big career over before it even started. Fear can be a powerful motivator to a weak man._

 _But please don't fool yourselves, I knew exactly what I was doing, and I did it anyway. I made the selfish decision to pursue my career and hide the truth about the accident. I convinced myself that exposing my involvement in the accident wasn't going to change anything. My wife was gone just the same._

 _Because of my own pain and pride, I thought it best if you girls never knew the truth. I should have told you about your mother's death a long time ago, but I was afraid if I did, I'd lose my family. Lose my career._

 _I'm not asking for forgiveness or even for understanding. I know I don't deserve either. But I am sorry for the pain you will feel reading my confession. Believe it or not, I do love you both, so very much..._

With bitter tears in her eyes, Bo closed the letter and shoved it inside the envelope not reading the rest of her father's words. It seemed impossible that her father had lied to them for so long, that he'd kept that secret, the lengths he had gone to minimize a potential scandal. When she thought about her father, that image did not match up with a man that would keep such a secret for all those years. She released a breath, and her body sagged. She wished she could go back in time before he died. When things were simpler, not confusing and complicated.

Lauren winced looking at Bo, hating that she had to give Bo that letter and contribute to her struggles. "Sweetie, I'm so sorry." That statement seemed woefully insufficient, but it wasn't like words would suffice in a situation like that.

She reached out and squeezed Bo's hand. Seconds passed by while Lauren ran her fingertips over the top of Bo's hand, neither of them speaking.

Bo took a deep breath, using her resentment with her father to keep the tears at bay. "I don't even know what I'm supposed to do with this information. It was an accident, but hiding the truth…what kind of person does that?" She managed to say through the shock and anger.

Lauren met Bo's eyes, compassion shining in them. She understood the anger and confusion swirling inside of Bo, she could relate to complicated parental feelings. She tightened her hold on Bo's hand, trying to infuse her with whatever support she could.

"I don't know. Maybe some people just lack the courage to do what's right."

The server stopped by the table to take their orders, briefly stopping the conversation. There were so many questions in Bo's head, so many feelings she didn't want to put the time into sorting through. Going through so many emotions in a very short period of time was making her physically drained.

Bo drummed her fingers on the letter, growing more upset by the second. She was trying to sort through the chaotic jumbles in her head and figure out how to deal with this information. She wanted to go home and forget that whole mess of a day ever happened, but she couldn't do that yet.

"Can we get our food to go? I need to go see my sister."

"Yeah," Lauren stood, and placed her napkin on the table. "I'll go find the server, and let him know." She walked passed Bo, but Bo grabbed Lauren's hand, beckoning her close.

The next thing, Bo knew, Lauren was kneeling in front of her, looking into her face with warm eyes. "Even good people make bad decisions. I'm not saying what your father did was okay, or that you aren't justified in being angry with him, but give yourself time to work through your feelings, and realize that healing isn't going to happen overnight. Just know I'm here, and you can talk to me about anything."

Bo took in all Lauren's words silently, and then leaned over and planted a tender kiss on Lauren's lips. A sign of her gratitude clearer than words could ever be.

 **XXXXXX**

 **AN**

 **Next up: Bo, Kenzi, Lauren and Hale scene.**

 **Thanks for reading and reviewing.**


	7. Chapter 7

For two hours, Bo sat with Kenzi in the living room. Tears fell down Kenzi's face as they talked a bit about their mother and Bo tried to comfort her, hating the fact the Kenzi was so hurt.

Neither really knew how to process the truth about their mother's death. It wasn't something they could easily come to grips with, not for a long time. The events of the day kept replaying in Bo's mind like a recording on fast-forward. Reading that letter dredged up so many conflicting emotions, and made Bo wonder if she had really known her father at all. Her perspective of him had been radically changed, forever. It was like they had been mourning a father they never really had.

"I don't know what to feel about the accident," Kenzi said, as she blew her nose.

When Kenzi met her eyes, which were overcome with emotion, a lump rose in Bo's throat. She wasn't sure if her response was for Kenzi, or herself. "I know. Me, neither. I thought he had more integrity than to hide the truth from us."

Kenzi looked at the letter lying on the table. "Maybe he wanted to protect us from the pain of the truth."

Petulantly, Bo scoffed, and then leaned against the couch. "No, he wanted to protect his precious career." It was a harsh statement, but Bo felt like it was true.

"Don't make excuses for him. He doesn't deserve it. The only thing our father had wanted in life was his career. That's a fact. Isn't that what all politicians do? Misrepresent the truth for their benefit. All those politicians are the same, including our father. Fake and corrupt."

Kenzi looked away, attempting to gather her emotions before responding. "I don't know if it's that simple. I don't think it takes away all the good in him, or the good he did in his life. He was desperate and made a wrong decision."

Bo opened her mouth, heated words at the ready. Then she closed it. It was confusing and upsetting for Bo to listen to her. But she knew their father's death had been too sudden, and the pain was too fresh, and Kenzi wasn't going to allow herself to be angry with him. It was less painful to believe that Harvey simply made a mistake than to admit the truth about him, particularly since nothing could be changed. Her sister wasn't going to allow anything to smear her memory of him. She didn't want to face the truth, yet, if ever. But Bo felt nothing but straightforward anger and uncomplicated disappointment.

"You think he was a coward? I don't. I think he was a human being. He must have spent so many years riddled with remorse about what happened."

That wasn't what Bo wanted to hear. "He lied to us. He lied to us our whole lives. It was selfish and wrong. There's no good reason to hide the truth." Bo looked somber as she said it, and felt angry quickly again. It all showed on her face.

"I think you're being a little cruel. He acted impulsively out of fear. We both know politics thrives on scandals, and any of dad's opponents would have turned a simple accident into something bad to use against him."

Growing more annoyed by the second that Kenzi was justifying his actions, that she was defending their father, Bo looked into her face with a stern expression. "And you are being naïve."

"I don't need to be mad at dad. He's gone." Kenzi said sadly. "Little by little, we'll feel better. We'll get through this."

Would Bo ever feel better? She doubted it. How could she feel better when her father kept such a secret? And thinking about it made her angry at him again. Furious in fact. She knew she would never forgive him. There was no way to repair that kind of hurt and betrayal.

Bo frowned. She crossed her arms across her chest. Quickly, she unfolded them and leaned forward. "Well, I never would've thought our father could have been capable of what he did. But in the end, there's no changing the past, and there's no hiding from it, either. We just have to find a way to cope with the knowledge that our father wasn't the person we thought he was."

Kenzi heaved a heavy breath and then tapped her fingers on the jewelry box that was sitting next to the letter. "Do you want to open it?"

For a long moment, Bo stared intently at the box as if trying to unlock its secrets with her eyes. "No." She said at last. "I can't take anymore. Secrets or whatever."

Kenzi's gaze fell to Hale and Lauren sitting on the front patio. They were keeping their distance to give the sisters some time to talk alone. As Kenzi watched, Lauren leaned forward to grab her glass, nodding agreeably, at something Hale said.

"We've done pretty well for ourselves. Don't you think?"

Bo followed Kenzi's eyes out the window of the screen door. Smiling, her eyes stayed on her wife. Despite the massive emotional avalanche the last few hours had been, Bo couldn't help but find it heartwarming to know Lauren was only a few feet away. "Yeah. The Dennis sisters did well in love at least. Not sure how the two of us snagged those two." As Bo spoke, Bo and Lauren caught each other's eyes, and Lauren gave Bo a small smile that was quietly affectionate.

"Many people never get that, a chance to know what real love is like. We're fortunate to have them."

Bo forced her gaze away from Lauren, then shifted her attention to Kenzi. "This is the family that matters," She said, gesturing to Hale and Lauren. "Us, them, your son. That is the ray of sunshine we cling to. Always. Harvey's secrets can't take that away from us."

XXXXXX

Not long after, Lauren and Hale joined them in the living room.

Bo took a deep breath, as her eyes bounced from one person to the next. "I've been working on something. I still am. I believe Harvey was murdered."

At the mention of that, Kenzi got uneasy and shifted in her seat. "That can't be true."

Also, startled by Bo's abrupt declaration, Lauren remained quiet, studying Bo's face. She reserved voicing any opinion until she heard what Bo had to say.

"It's entirely true," Bo insisted, gearing up to defend her reasoning. "At first, I thought Rainer stole his money, and then killed our father, but," she tapped her fingers on the envelope on the table. "What if someone, found out about this secret and was blackmailing our father, and then something went wrong, and they killed him."

Hale switched out of friendly brother-in-law mode, and his tone changed to all business. "I'm really sorry about your father, Bo. But this is an FBI case. A closed case. The fact is our hands are tied."

Bo lifted her chin in defiance. His response didn't surprise her, but she was still disappointed. "When I look at all the events as a whole, I'm just not buying that it's all innocent."

There was a long silence, which was uncomfortable, thick, and heavy. Then Hale said, "Bo, you can't take over this case. This isn't up to you."

"I really think there's more to the story here," Bo said, keeping her voice as low and patient as she could. "I'm shocked the FBI aren't still investigating. The FBI's eagerness to get this case closed proves to me, there's something bigger going on."

Lauren shifted her eyes to Kenzi, who fidgeted with her shirt, not looking at Bo. Lauren could tell she didn't like what she was hearing.

A skeptical expression claimed Hale's face. "As your brother-in-law, I understand what you mean, but I have different responsibilities as your boss, and I cannot devote our resources to have you go off on a wild-goose chase that isn't our case. You have to leave this up to the feds, Bo."

The familiar defensiveness rose inside Bo, as it tended to when someone tried to hold her back. "Think about it. We have to find the truth. It's our responsibility to get answers as to why something strange is going on here."

"I hear what you're saying," Hale swiftly responded. "But we have to follow the law and look at the evidence."

"I only want the truth." Bo retorted with firm conviction. She wasn't going to allow his words to rock her. She wasn't going to begin to wonder if she was wrong because she knew she was right.

Bo and Hale debated for over twenty minutes, while Kenzi and Lauren remained silent. Bo was dismayed that she hadn't been able to sway Hale to her point of view. Bo was ready to straight flip out on Hale when Lauren's hand gently rested on her knee. She held Bo tight as if knowing what Bo was thinking and silently telling her that she was right there at her side, and it gave Bo a sense of closeness, support.

Lauren watched Bo suck in two deep breaths, reining in that temper of hers.

"Bo, I'm a little worried that this will consume you, take over your life." Kenzi cut in. "You're never happy unless you're challenging something. In your career, you're asked to see the darkness…"

"I'm going to catch the asshole who killed our father, no matter what," Bo responded, not letting it go. "The bad guys don't get to win."

"We don't even know he was murdered," Kenzi sighed wearily.

"I do," Bo said, darting her eyes to her wife, who hadn't said a thing the whole time. "There has to be a way to kill someone and make it look like a heart attack."

Lauren's gaze met Bo's and held, understanding flickering in her eyes. "There are common household chemicals that, if mixed together, produce hydrogen sulfide, which is lethal if inhaled in a contained space. Hydrogen sulfide gases cause organs to shut down, resulting in a heart attack. The death would have been almost instantaneous."

It felt good to have Lauren not questioning her, like the others, to know that she had her wife's support. "A contained area, like a car?"

Lauren glanced at Kenzi, who looked horrified. "Yes," She answered hesitantly for Kenzi's sake. "But if the gas were produced in the car it would have lingered in the air for hours after, and would have been obvious to whoever discovered the body."

That gave Bo another reason to suspect Rainer. "What if the car was the second location. Maybe he moved the body after…" She said thinking out loud, cursing herself because that thought never even occurred to her before. "Is there a way to prove that's how he died?"

"Yes, by ordering special tests of his blood for the gas. But, I will say, the gas would have left a faint rotten-egg odor in the organs, which would have been hard to miss during the autopsy."

Bo took a while to respond, thinking it all through. "Damn it; we should have hired our own pathologist, someone, good, trustworthy. I hate that we have to play catch up here. If this had been my case…"

"So, you're saying the FBI isn't trustworthy?" Hale interrupted, his gaze drilling into Bo. "You're throwing around some pretty serious allegations."

"It's too easy. There are plenty of people who would breathe easier with this case getting closed quickly. I think the Feds were willing to shut their eyes to what still needed to be answered. Or is it just a coincidence that Rainer, a potential suspect or witness, so quickly skipped town right after?"

Bo watched as her argument sunk into Hale's mind. His eyes met hers after a quick glance at Kenzi.

"Point taken," Hale said, clearly starting to think through the gaps in the investigation.

"I'm going to bed," Kenzi announced abruptly, standing to her feet. "This day has been too long, too emotional. I can't handle all this tension and arguing."

Bo looked up and realized that her sister was probably too emotionally fatigued to be hearing all that. "I'm sorry, Kenz. It wasn't a good night to talk about this. You're right you should get some rest."

Kenzi nodded her head, but didn't meet Bo's eyes, and Bo felt another rush of guilt for bringing up her suspicions. She should have picked a better time.

After that, they all hugged each other goodbye, and Bo and Lauren left with Bo leaving the letter, jewelry box, and journal behind with Kenzi.

XXXXXXX

After Harvey's death and mind-blowing revelation, Bo wondered what else could possibly go wrong next. She sensed something else lurking up ahead, something she wouldn't see coming. She hated that feeling.

During the remaining days of her leave from work, Bo had spent her free time trying to track down Rainer's family members and friends to get a clue about his whereabouts. She didn't have much luck, Rainer didn't have any living relatives and didn't seem to have any close friends, not that she could find anyway. From everything she gathered about him, he worked all the time; his life seemed to revolve around Harvey. She tried not to jump to any conclusions about who the killer could be, but Rainer's disappearance was just too suspicious.

Through Dyson's background check on Rainer Bo was able to get the address to Rainer's last residence. So, the previous day she had taken a trip to check it out. But she came up with nothing. The building was protected by a security gate, which prevented entry of any unwelcome visitors. She had debated breaking into his apartment, but she couldn't do it. She needed to follow the rules on this.

Finally, it was Sunday, and Bo was due back to work the following day. She supposed it would be good to get back to her cases, give her a purpose outside of obsessing about her father. But at that moment, she was going to enjoy a lazy afternoon with her wife, and not care about anything else. She needed to reboot, recharge so she could be ready to face going back to work.

And she was thankful to have Lauren to distract her. She wanted that, she needed to shake the cobwebs out of her mind and be grateful for what she had right in front of her. There was no way in hell she was going to let her father's secrets hurt her relationship. She understood that putting her marriage first always had to be the priority.

The room was cozy, the only light coming from the television. They were sprawled lengthwise on the sofa, watching a TV show.

Lauren was spooned behind Bo, with her chin on her shoulder and her legs tangled with Bo's. With her eyes glued to the TV, Lauren's fingertips lazily drew circles around Bo's bare arm. The softness of it was pure, divine torture. More than once Bo wanted to grab her hand and guide it other places. The only thing keeping Bo partially grounded after everything was the warmth of Lauren's body next to her, the feel of her touch. She always felt like a different, better person around Lauren, yet completely herself. With everything going wrong, with all the stress, that was the one thing that was still totally right.

"This program is seriously twisted," Lauren commented after gasping at a particularly gruesome scene.

Bo's whole body shook with silent laughter. "Shock value is all that matters these days. It's how they keep people watching. Dark and edgy is totes in fashion."

Throwing her head back, Lauren laughed. "What did you say?"

"Sorry, too much time with that rookie."

Lauren frowned briefly at the television, and then looked away. Being a doctor, she wasn't squeamish about blood at all, but she didn't enjoy watching over-the-top violence.

"Well, I'd prefer a nice, safe comedy to this any day. Or perhaps a cooking show."

Bo tilted her head back to look at Lauren. "You lost the coin toss, remember?"

Lauren grinned and smacked a kiss to Bo's lips. She was amazed that after going through so much, Bo could still be so happy and full of life. And she knew that they were hiding from the world, but that was okay because the world outside was unpleasant and overwhelming at times. And retreating from everything else, but their mutual love and devotion, on occasion, was not a bad thing to do, because eventually they would emerge and deal with it all.

"Do you want to watch something else?"

"Could we?"

Bo wiggled around to face Lauren, her face breaking into a grin. "Whatever you want, babe."

"Are you sure? Didn't you want to watch this?"

Bo reached over to stroke Lauren's cheek, and then trailed her fingers down Lauren's shoulder. "I don't mind, really."

For the next several minutes, the television droned in the background, but they ignored it with silly talk, which led to quick, silly kisses, which eventually resulted in serious, long, sweet kisses.

But ultimately they broke apart and decided to switch to watching a movie in the bedroom where it was more comfortable. Lauren was laughing when Bo walked back into the room after a quick trip to the kitchen for a drink.

As she placed her water bottle down, Bo's gaze slid over Lauren's face, and she gave her an amused grin.

Lauren recovered herself enough to speak. "This movie is hilarious." She lifted the blanket as an invitation for Bo to join her under the covers. "Want me to replay the scene?"

Bo settled in, the both of them huddled together beneath the blanket. "No, I've seen this movie before a couple of years ago." She said, kissing Lauren's temple. "You work so much; you've missed a lot of good movies."

"Hey," Lauren started to protest, and then paused when Bo gave her a knowing look. She dipped her head, acknowledging the point. Bo was right.

Bo sprawled back to enjoy the show, and Lauren cuddled in next to her. For the rest of the movie, they laughed in the same places, touched each other, teased one another with almost-kisses and little nibbles sporadically. It was a comfortably domestic moment they were both enjoying to the fullest. And when it was over they both agreed that watching a comedy had been a better idea.

Bo clicked off the television and adjusted her position to face Lauren. She smiled, and her eyes went all melty and soft when her gaze locked on Lauren. "I love your eyes. They're gorgeous."

"You're buttering me up for something."

"I'm speaking the truth. I mean what I say." Bo roamed her eyes all over Lauren's face like invisible fingers. "So, what should we do now?"

Not waiting for Lauren to answer, she leaned in to kiss Lauren's lips. She protested not at all, so Bo dragged Lauren's bare leg closer to her, and rested it on her hip kissing her harder, deeper.

They continued kissing, doing no more than that, just letting their limbs wrap around each other, regarding one another's bodies with the wonder and joy, which was always present between them. They got swept up in the passion, remaining unhurried, slow, and leisurely, as though they had all the time in the world, and really, that day, they did.

Bo leaned back, and Lauren frowned at the loss of Bo's lips and lifted her lids to look at her. She licked her lips encouragingly ready to go again, and Bo responded by smiling and covering her mouth again. She shifted over, rolling Lauren to her back with their lips still pressed together.

A chuckle rumbled behind Lauren's lips, and she wrapped her arms around her neck. "You're a menace." She rasped jokingly when Bo pulled back and tugged off her shirt.

Bo wasn't wearing a bra. Unable to stop her gaze Lauren darted her eyes between Bo's breasts, and then back to her eyes.

Bo gave Lauren the delicious, almost innocent smile, the one Lauren always found so engaging and hard to resist.

"Right back at ya, lover."

Lauren let out a tiny breath as her palms covered Bo's breasts, watching as Bo's chest rose and fell under her touch. She found her brain hijacked by the overt sensuality of her wife's body. A hot cascade of need coursed through her, every time her skin touched Bo's, igniting her arousal.

When Lauren's thumbs tweaked her nipples, she stimulated nerve endings that ran down between Bo's legs. She arched forward, pressing her breasts into Lauren's hands, wanting more, harder. Her eyes slammed shut, her head falling back as she gave herself over to the sensations. "More."

"More what?" Lauren whispered, before trailing her fingertips down the middle of Bo's stomach until it reached the edge of Bo's underwear.

A long sigh of pleasure whooshed out of Bo when Lauren moved up and placed open-mouthed kisses to her nipple and drew it into her mouth. "Everything." She grunted, her hand sinking into Lauren's hair. Quickly, there was nothing around Bo but the hot, wet tug of Lauren's mouth on her breast and the pulse of need it flared in her stomach.

By the time Lauren had moved to the other breast, Bo was all but mindless with want. She forced herself to keep breathing and wrapped her arms around Lauren and turned them over, so they were both on their sides again. She fitted herself against Lauren as they threw themselves into another kiss.

Lauren's fingers tangled in Bo's hair, shaping her skull, pulling her closer. Eyes tightly closed, she savored every skim, graze of Bo's tongue. The words "I love you," were muffled somewhere between the kisses.

Bo said it too, over and over again, each time spurring Lauren on. Soon afterward, their clothes flew off at a quick speed.

It wasn't the solution to everything. Bo learned a long time ago sex couldn't solve all her problems. At some point, Bo needed to figure things out. But making hot love to Lauren on the bed in the middle of the day? It made her feel whole, filled her with a peace she hadn't felt since reading that letter.

XXXXX

While Lauren took an after sex nap, Bo stole a few minutes to do some research. She decided to reach out to her father's housekeeper. She figured if anyone could shed some light on the events of that night she could. She was trusted and loyal to Harvey; she had worked for him for years. But she insisted that Harvey hadn't said anything unusual to her before his death. She claimed that nothing odd happened that night or the days leading up to it and no strangers had been hanging around the property. When Bo asked her about Rainer's state of mind on the night, she didn't recall seeing him until after Harvey's body had been discovered.

"You're a lot like Senator Dennis, you know that," The housekeeper told Bo next. She spoke of Harvey with a mixture of affection and respect. "That's a compliment, dear. Your father was a strong, good man. He did nothing but rave about you and your sister. He was so proud of you."

Bo thanked her without disagreeing because she didn't see the point and expressed her gratitude for keeping the house up and running since Harvey's death, then she hung up. She sighed, finding out nothing that clarified what might have happened. Though, she did find it curious that Rainer went unseen by the housekeeper. If her father had been alone, surely Rainer would have been inside the house. After that, she called the groundskeeper, chef, and anyone else she could think of, but she received the same story from all.

She stared at her phone for a long time, thinking about what to do next.

"What are you thinking about?"

Bo looked up to find her wife standing in the doorway of the tiny office. She looked sleep-mussed and scrumptious in her yoga pants and a loose sweater. She was definitely a sight to smile at, so Bo did. "This or that."

Lauren was always in tune to Bo's feelings, could always tell when she was drifting away. So, she decided to broach the subject Bo seemed to be avoiding. "You've got a lot on your mind. It's easy to forget sometimes. All this must be so painful for you." Slowly, she moved into the room. "I keep wondering what you're thinking. We haven't really had a full conversation about the letter and your theory about his death."

"I was just calling some of my father's staff. But they're insisting nothing odd happened that night."

Aware that Bo didn't open up about her feelings, Lauren rested her hands on her lean hips and studied Bo for several seconds. "What are you going to do now?" She asked, letting it go.

"Officially, I'm not allowed to investigate, but that's not going to stop me from trying to get answers." She looked at Lauren questioningly. "Do you believe me? About my father."

Lauren wasn't an expert in the area of police investigations, but she knew when it was time to trust Bo's judgment.

"I believe that there are questions that need answering. For sure, a lot of it does seem suspicious. You have good instincts, you can get to the heart of the truth like no one else. That's one of the things I love most about you."

Bo smiled touched that Lauren, out of everyone, seemed to believe her without question. Lauren was always on her side, and that was a beautiful, important thing to Bo. She rose and circled the desk, and then leaned on it. "Whatever my father did or didn't do in his life, he didn't deserve to be murdered. I need the truth."

Watching someone, she loved suffer so much loss, and disappointment was a unique brand of torture for Lauren. She wished she could do something. Doctors were born to fix things, or to at least try, but she knew that what Bo really needed was someone to talk to, needed support. And she was going to be everything Bo needed her to be.

"I'll never push you but just be open to forgiveness if or when you feel it's time."

Bo didn't answer for a while, her gaze trained down at her feet. "Will you ever forgive your parents?" She asked lifting her head with a cautious look.

"I have, in my own way," Lauren said, meaning it. But she couldn't stop herself from adding, "I mostly feel sorry for them, living with so much hate in their hearts. They lost their only child because of that, and I don't need to punish them by hating them back, because that animosity will only end up eating away at me, and that gives them too much power over me. Sometimes, the only thing you can do is let go, and move on."

Bo was always astounded that Lauren could take a sensitive subject, and look at the bigger picture. She was a good woman, a better woman than Bo could ever be, she knew that. And that's why Bo spent the majority of every moment trying her hardest to deserve her.

"I can't forgive him." Bo hesitated a beat, taking a quick breath. "I just want my life back, my happy, normal, sane life with you that makes sense. But I can't do that until I get some answers." Her gaze fell on the wall, with its family photographs. She zeroed in on her sister's face. "But there's a lot to think about."

"Like…"

"What I might uncover. I could deal with it, no matter what. But I'm worried about my sister. I couldn't handle seeing her fall apart. I don't know if it's better for her to know or not know the truth."

"You've both been through a lot, and learning the truth might give Kenzi some measure of comfort even if it's painful. And what Kenzi will need from you is for you to be your wonderful self, and to talk to her truthfully."

Bo's face brightened, feeling a warm rush of gratitude. "I'm glad we had this day together before I have to go back to work. You're my soft place to land when I'm getting tossed around by life's shitty surprises."

Lauren felt the same way about Bo, and she smiled. "It's good for us both to unwind. But please, keep in mind, that holding in your feelings can only stagnate you. You can't keep carrying all of this around inside you without talking about it."

Bo shifted slightly under that beautiful all-seeing gaze of Lauren's. "I don't like feeling this helpless or powerless. But I don't care what it takes; I'm going to take them down, each and every person involved in this."

Lauren reached out and gripped Bo's hand. "Just don't lose yourself along the way."

Suddenly, the conversation petered out. Not because there was nothing left to say, but because both needed a break from the serious discussion. They certainly deserved some light and peaceful time alone together.

Lauren dropped Bo's hand and surprised her by changing the subject. She talked with Bo about her plans for her birthday. Although, Bo wanted something simple, Lauren got an idea to rent a house on the lake for a weekend and invite all their friends and family. She liked the plan because it was a way to have a mini vacation and celebrate Bo's birthday at the same time. They were overdue for a happy, family celebration.

Bo lifted her eyebrows in delighted surprise. "I think that's a great idea. It sounds like a lot of much-needed fun."

Lauren was thrilled that Bo agreed. "Great! I'll plan the details from top to bottom. You won't have to do a thing."

They shared a smile, taking the pause in conversation as an opportunity, Bo's eyes wandered over Lauren.

"Hey," Lauren said half laughing, catching Bo staring at her breasts. She gestured to her eyes. "Up here."

Bo laughed, she couldn't stop appreciating how sexy her wife was, she doubted she ever would. She licked her bottom lip provocatively, as she slid her arms around Lauren, locking them at the small of Lauren's back. "Enough talking, come to bed and be naughty with me."

Lauren stared at Bo, her mouth to be exact, and that undeniable heat that went from nothing to blazing hot whenever they were close to each other built up between them. "Dream on, Detective."

Bo scooted her closer, her expression making it clear that brush off wasn't going to cut it. "You're saying no to an orgasm? You love the sex."

Despite herself, Lauren chuckled at that. "But I'm all sexed out for today, no more sexual escapades."

Bo shot Lauren a smug smile and ran her hand down her back. "We'll see." She leaned in until their mouths were a millimeter away. "I bet I can make you change your mind about that. I'm just too adorable for you to resist."

Rolling her eyes, Lauren's breath caught at the same time when Bo playfully squeezed her bottom. She was absolutely positive Bo could change her mind about it, she had no defense against Bo, but she wasn't about to admit it.

"My plans are to have you naked for the next twelve hours."

Bo began backing up toward the door and pulling Lauren along with her. And yes, they did end up having sex again that day after all.

XXXXXX

Doug Reed was a sociopath. It was a fact. When he started killing little animals as a young boy, his father had him tested to confirm it. Sure, he looked normal, but he wasn't, not on the inside. He knew he was smarter, and freer, because he wasn't bound by the same rules, same emotions as everyone else. Not all sociopaths were killers, but he knew how to use his gifts to the fullest.

He could fool the world with his appearance, with his wealth. Could fool just about anyone. He once read that 4 percent of people were sociopaths, which meant that there were a lot of people just like him out there. But no one worried about people like him, the potential danger that appeared normal, friendly, unassuming. No one realized that danger lived all around them, riding the subway with them, chatting with them in the checkout line at Starbucks, walking behind them on the street.

His father had tried to control him, to guide him, to tame him, but that was pointless. That's why he became his father's enforcer; it was perfect for someone like him, someone who didn't feel. Before his arrest, he helped clean up his father's messes, and, as it turned out, there were a lot of messes. And he knew all his father's secrets, even what he had done while he was locked up, and blackmailing Senators, bribing government officials and jury tampering weren't the worst of his crimes, far from it.

Finally, he saw her, his target, emerge from her house early in the morning, unaware of his presence, of the danger lurking in the shadows. Would he strike that day? No. Today, he would do nothing but watch. For he knew, although clichéd, revenge really was best served cold. But he got bored easily. He hated waiting for anything. The waiting made him restless, anxious. So he would play with this detective, create fear in her heart until he was ready to strike. As he watched the detective stop at her car and kiss the blonde woman, a smile spread across his face. He knew exactly how to get to her, through her loved ones. With a plan in place, he decided that he would follow the blonde that day, learn about her.

He had plans for everything, always a step ahead, maybe even four, of everyone else. He would set things in motion, and when the moment came, he would strike. He knew he would always win in the end. That was no question. And his enemies, they would never see him coming unless he wanted them to.

XXXXXX

Before going into the station, Bo tried to catch the pathologist on his way to work. She parked her car and waited for him to appear. He couldn't refuse to speak with her if she ambushed him. Although, Doug's case had shaken her, made her question if she wanted to be a detective going forward, there was still a deep satisfaction she felt digging into a case, stripping off masks, exposing lies. It gave her meaning, and helped her get her bearings after her father's death, and learning his secret.

Inside her car, she checked out his website to find out more about the pathologist and was thankful to find a picture of him. Then, Bo called the office to confirm that he was scheduled in that day. Getting her answer, she shoved her phone in her pocket, and looked out the car window, waiting. Minutes later, she saw him walking toward the building. Hastily she jumped out of the car and jogged over to him.

"Mr. Randolph." She said quickly, blocking his path.

He moved to the side, but Bo slid beside him and walked at his side.

"I'm Bo, the daughter of Senator Dennis."

"I know who you are." He said, inspecting Bo out of the corner of his eye.

"I need to speak with you. It's urgent."

He kept walking and said nothing.

"I need a copy of your report on my father," Bo said, walking faster beside him as he picked up his pace.

He paused only briefly to glance at Bo. "My office will send one over, but these things take time."

"I can't wait." Bo continued, undeterred. "I have some questions about my father's death."

He stopped moving, and they stared at each other. He wiped the sweat from his face. Bo also noticed that the expensive suit shirt he was wearing was damp. She didn't trust this man; he had something to hide. Blame it on the skepticism that came with being a cop. Her thought processes made her question and doubt everything.

"What are you accusing me of, exactly?" He asked in a clipped tone. Apparently, he was offended.

Bo blinked and slipped into an innocent expression. "Who said I was accusing you of anything. All I'm doing is asking questions. Why would that bother you?"

He looked at Bo piercingly for a moment before he said, "He had a heart attack, Ms. Dennis. Death is confusing for those left behind, and there are people who cannot accept reality." The veins in his neck bulged. "Death is never logical, and your gripe is with your god, not me."

"I'm not religious, and I'm not coming to you for anything more than getting some questions answered." Bo gave him her card with her information on it. "My father worked long and hard, his whole life. He won his position from the ground up, started out with nothing. He had a fantastic record of fighting for the poor, and supporting the underdog…" She paused, feeling strange about talking about her father in such glowing terms. She forced tears in her eyes to play up the grief-stricken daughter angle. "He was a good man and my family simply wants answers. We need to see that report for closure."

He stared at Bo before glancing down at the card, thinking. Finally, he relented. "I'll email you. The pictures, the medical examination, everything I have," He said, and his voice turned bitter. "I don't have anything to hide. I've been doing this for years, and I stand by everything in that report."

Bo grabbed his hand to shake it, and he tensed slightly. "Thank you. And please send it as soon as possible."

Without another word, he turned and hurried off to the building.

Bo turned back toward her car, thinking things over, and deciding on her strategy going forward. She couldn't let it go, that wasn't her. She had to press further, to hold everyone involved accountable, and she wasn't going to rest until she did. Nothing would stop her.

 **XXXXX**

 **AN**

 **Thanks for reading and reviewing.**

 **Next up: Lauren and Tamsin scene.**


	8. Chapter 8

Bo sat in her office and stared off into space. She wasn't used to feeling so off-center. Secrets and lies, secrets and lies. It was strange, how she could spend her whole life believing one thing, only to have her entire perception of things changed in a single moment. And what if she discovered another terrible secret about her father? She'd be devastated, disappointed. Again. And yet she kept searching for the truth. She couldn't accept that her father's death had been natural. It was impossible for her to give up, no matter how many people told her she should. Somehow, someway, she needed the truth. She pushed what she was thinking to the back of her mind.

Sitting up straight in her chair, Bo sipped her coffee and tried to concentrate on the case before her, but the words stared back, refusing to make any sense. She needed to focus on her case, not just her father, not just Rainer. There was always another crime for her to investigate, always a fresh mystery to solve. It was her job.

The door to her office burst open, and Mark bounced in. "Welcome back!" He exclaimed, and then smacked his gum in the way that always annoyed Bo.

"Knock much," Bo said curtly, with an eye roll. "Can we get to work?"

Mark scurried into a chair and pulled out his notebook. He read from his notes and Bo listened carefully with her fingers gripping her desk, and her eyes focused on the ceiling.

"See Dyson yet today?" Bo asked after he finished, irritation laced each of her words. She didn't feel like Mark's updates, or reports were adequate to get her up to speed on what she had missed. She needed to talk to her old partner. She missed tossing ideas back and forth with Dyson; they each always saw another aspect of what was going on, and that's why they had worked so well as partners. To her, Mark was useless.

Mark shook his head and chewed loudly on his gum. "I haven't. I think he's coming in for the late shift."

Bo massaged her forehead as a headache had sprung up. "I hate cases like this." She felt like she was losing the battle with her current case, which only served to increase her fixation with her father.

Apparently, Mark didn't know what to say so he remained silent. Soon after, they pored over all the files, new and old, trying to connect any dots. After three hours they had little to show for their efforts. Bo felt tired and restless, she leaned back in her chair and caught Tamsin walking by her office.

Bo called out to her. Tamsin stopped and peeked her head into the room, lingering in the doorway.

"You want the rookie to get you some lunch?" Bo asked, pushing the papers away from her. She needed a break.

"Nah, I have a lunch date with Lewis."

At the mere mention of her wife, automatically, Bo perked up with a small smile ghosting her lips. "A date? With my Lauren?"

Tamsin nodded while checking her watch. "Yeah, we're going shopping. She's helping me pick out a dress for an event."

"That's hot. Are you going to change in front of each other, in like slow motion with soft, sexy music playing?" Mark piped in, receiving a kick in the knee from Bo from under the desk.

Tamsin squinted at Mark, not a friendly squint, but ignored him. "You want to tag along?" She asked Bo.

"I wish I could, but I have to work through my lunch today. I have a lot of shit to catch up on." Bo sighed really wanting to go, and then her face twisted into a petulant pout. "Run along and have fun with my wife."

"I will."

"Are you going to model that dress for us when you get back," Mark asked, giving Tamsin a goofy grin.

Tamsin shot Mark her trademark don't-mess-with-me glare and quickly left the office.

When Tamsin was out of earshot, Mark said to Bo. "Man, she's a hottie with a killer body." He leaned back in the chair and placed his feet on Bo's desk. "I think she likes me."

"I don't think so. No one likes you, dummy." She let out a quick laugh at Mark's expense. "You are the least perceptive person I've ever met." She glared at him and shoved his feet off her desk. "I thought I told you to respect your coworkers."

Mark caught himself on the edge of the desk so he wouldn't topple over. "I was complimenting her."

Bo stared at him like a child, who didn't, or couldn't understand the real world. "Wrong again, doofus. Watch out or Tamsin will kick your ass for those 'compliments'." She scribbled on a post-it and held it up for him. "Why aren't you getting my lunch?"

With a toddler-like huff, Mark stood and took it from Bo's hand. "I can do more than get lunch, ya know?"

"No, you can't." Bo snapped, shooing him away with her hand. "Quit acting like a baby and go be useful and get my lunch detective man-boy."

"Still friends," Mark asked, fighting a smile.

Bo turned from Mark to her computer, struck a few keys, and said. "Friend is a very strong word. Think reluctant work colleagues."

Mark laughed like Bo was joking, she wasn't, and made a hasty retreat from her office.

Thankful for the quiet, and time alone, Bo checked her email for the reports she was expecting, but she didn't see them. Frustration got the better of her. She rose quickly from her chair, almost knocking it to the ground.

Unable to stand still, Bo walked around the small amount of open floor in her office. She decided to take a trip to her father's estate and canvass the area to look for anything the Feds might have missed or ignored. She let out a rush of air. Her mind was so jumbled with thoughts that they swirled without a clear focus. She was lost in her mind and bumped into Hale, who just came striding purposefully into her office.

"What's up?" Bo asked, taking a step back from him.

He walked fully into the office and leaned back against her desk. "Sorry about the other night. I know you were looking for my support, but I'm in a tough spot here being both your brother-in-law and boss."

Bo was angry with him, but she had far too much respect for Hale to pull a tantrum, so she softened her expression. "I know." She said, her voice convincingly casual. "No harm, no foul. You're just doing your job. I understand."

Bo sensed he had more to say. She was too antsy for small talk, so she shoved her hands in her pockets and waited.

Hale watched her with eyes that were warm and sincere. Bo was always impressed how Hale could command respect from his colleagues with his approachable and outgoing personality. He was the opposite of his predecessor, Ryan, in every way.

"I didn't mean to brush you off. You're the best detective I have, and I trust your instincts."

Bo smiled at her superior and brother-in-law for his praise.

"So, I called in a couple of favors, and the FBI will be sending over a copy of your father's case file."

Relief followed his words and Bo gave him a quick hug. "Thank you. This means everything to me."

"This is an off-the-books favor." Hale shifted as his eyes roamed the office. "The rumor mill around here spreads fast, just be careful with whom you talk to about this."

Bo nodded her understanding, knowing full well what his words meant to indicate.

When Hale met Bo's eyes again, they were clear of the jovial spark they typically fired with. "Before you do anything, you need to have a really hard think about the consequences of going any further. Because if you're right, this is going to create a real mess."

"I don't see what other choice I have."

"I'm trusting you not to get fixated on your father's investigation; you know that case isn't the only one out there."

Bo's gaze fell to the piles of folders on her desk, and she felt guilty about getting sidetracked with her father and not giving her current case her full attention. "Copy that." She said at last.

XXXXXX

Tamsin was waiting for Lauren, feeling uncomfortable as the saleswoman eyed her up and down, tilting her head, and squinting her eyes. Evony had invited her to a charity banquet, and she was shopping for something to wear. She didn't really own any nice dresses, and she didn't want to feel out of place among the posh, powerful people that no doubt would be attending the event. She had heard that a few politicians would be in attendance and she didn't want to embarrass Evony with her regular clothes.

Awkwardly, Tamsin looked around the rakes of clothes, trying to avoid the woman's gaze. She groaned as she scanned the price tags. The dresses started from nine hundred dollars and up. She wondered why people spent so much money on clothes; it seemed like the most trivial thing in the world to her. Still, she had to get something nice to wear.

"We have several beautiful items that would work for you." The saleswoman called out, standing demurely behind the counter.

Tamsin darted her head around looking to see whom she was talking to. But she was the only one in the store. "I'm fine. I'm waiting for a friend." She said, wishing she didn't feel like such an idiot in that expensive store. She tried to act normal but wasn't really sure what normal was in that situation.

The saleswoman gave her another glance, and Tamsin knew she had deemed her inferior, and viewed her as an outsider, which really she was.

Lauren marched into the store, getting out of the oppressive heat of the day into the cool, air-conditioned space. The clinic was only a few blocks away from the store, which made it easy for her to make a midday escape between patients. She didn't usually take breaks like that, but when Tamsin called asking for help, she couldn't refuse her.

Scanning the store, she spotted Tamsin immediately. "Sorry, I'm late." She said, shoving her phone in her pocket.

"Something wrong?"

Lauren joined Tamsin and started inspecting different dresses. "Just the usual. Pressures, complications, work, work, work. I'm running out of money for my research…" Lauren rolled her eyes at herself and stopped her grumbles. "But it's fine. I'll figure something out."

"I'm sure you will."

Lauren shrugged. "Have you found anything you like?" She asked as she pulled a few options off the rake for Tamsin to try on. She showed her a plum gown with sheer sleeves.

"I'm not very good at this." Tamsin gave the dress a disgusted look, and Lauren quickly put it back in place.

"With your body type, I imagine very little would look bad on you." The saleswoman offered her opinion from across the store.

Tamsin faked a smile and hid behind the rake of clothes. Smiling, Lauren shook her head at Tamsin's embarrassment. She did seem to be completely out of her element.

While Tamsin tried on a few dresses, Lauren sat in the dressing room lobby, surrounded by far too many mirrors and big plush furniture.

"Did you get the email I sent about Bo's birthday?"

"Yes. Do you mind if I bring Evony?" Tamsin emerged from the dressing room and padded over to a mirror.

For the sake of politeness, Lauren pretended Evony's presence for an entire weekend wouldn't bother her. "I think that will be okay, but I'll have to check with Bo first." She cleared her throat, feeling a little uncomfortable, and then she blurted out. "I'm really surprised you're still dating Evony."

"We're not dating. It's casual and means nothing. I don't have feelings for her." Tamsin said, hoping Lauren couldn't see through her denials.

"But she's taking you to a banquet, and you want to bring her to a weekend getaway. It seems like you're dating. Believe me, I have experience with the together, not together thing. It's easy for those lines to get blurred."

"I'm not looking for a relationship," Tamsin said as she disappeared behind the silk sheets of the dressing room. "I couldn't imagine having sex with just one person for years…" She peeked her head out at Lauren. "Sorry."

Lauren laughed that off. "Don't apologize. I'm very satisfied in my marriage, and I have no complaints about my sex life."

Minutes later, Tamsin walked back out in a green gown, the fabric cinched at the bust and hugged her slender, tall frame perfectly. "Still. One woman for like ten years…"

"It doesn't hurt that Bo gets better looking every day."

Turning away from the mirror, Tamsin let out a dramatic groan and an eye roll. "That's so sickly sweet, geez."

Lauren's lips grew into a smile. "But it's true. I unequivocally enjoy sex… a lot. But I don't feel like I've missed out on anything by being with only Bo for so long, quite the contrary, I feel incredibly lucky to have her. It's not for everyone, but monogamy seems to come very naturally to me."

Tamsin turned back to the mirror and eyed Lauren through it. "It's obvious to anyone who sees you and Bo together that you're crazy into each other. It's like you two have a weird fairy tale connection, well, I guess, an X-rated fairy tale love. But I don't think that kind of thing is very common."

Lauren chuckled as she thought about that and then stretched her legs out in front of her. "It's really not a fairy tale. Not even close. It takes work, and more than once I wasn't sure we would even last, and that's the truth. At times, I felt like we always had to do everything the hard way. But we are always able to work things out because we aren't willing to give up on us, on what we have."

Tamsin grunted out a laugh, walking back into the changing room to try on another dress. "Sounds like a fairy tale to me."

Lauren chewed on the inside of her cheek, hesitant to bring up what was on her mind. Finally, she couldn't hold it in, and she said. "I promised myself I would stay out of it because it's not really my business. So, I'll only say this once; you aren't meant to be with someone like Evony. Her moral compass is pretty much nonexistent. For some, beauty is only skin deep. And that's never been a more accurate statement than with Evony. I think you deserve more."

Tamsin chose not to comment on the fact that Lauren considered Evony beautiful. "I've got my personal life under control, really." Her voice trickled from the dressing room.

"I will say one more thing, and then I'll shut up. Love is too important a thing for you to go without in your life. But there's no time frame that's set for everyone. When it feels right to you, then I think you'll find someone."

Tamsin's face registered mild surprise as she walked back out. She wore a knee-length light blue dress with a low neck and slight sparkle to it. "I'm happiest alone; I like being single."

"If that's true, then I think that's great." Lauren smiled as she got up to stand next to Tamsin at the mirror. Lauren never had a sister, and she felt protective of Tamsin, she wanted only good things for her. She hid it well, but Lauren could see a loneliness and pain behind Tamsin's eyes, which she wanted to help heal. But she didn't want to push her too much. "Sorry for the unsolicited counsel. I've been getting that a lot lately, and I shouldn't do the same thing to you."

"Advice about what?"

Cringing at the thought of talking about babies for the hundredth time, Lauren dodged the question. "Don't ask."

Tamsin stared at herself in the mirror, and a sad smile crossed her face before it quickly faded. "Listen, Lewis, for what it's worth, I like that you worry about me. I don't have any family," There was no bitterness in her voice, just a simple statement of facts. "But I feel like after all these years you and the others have become a bit like a family to me. As long as the love advice isn't a regular thing, I don't mind."

Smiling, Lauren stood behind Tamsin and adjusted the straps on her dress to the right position. "Okay, I can live with that. I think you're great Tamsin. Someone like you…" She stepped away from Tamsin and leaned against one of the mirrors to look her in the eyes. "You do deserve happiness, whatever that means for you. But that won't happen if you're always protecting yourself. Sometimes, you have to leap forward, even if that means you might fall flat on your face." She glanced away from Tamsin for a moment. "For me, it's happened more than once. But I don't believe I could have found happiness without those face-plants, so to speak."

"Maybe no guy or girl could ever live up to my impossible standards." Tamsin joked, laughing loudly at herself at how ridiculous that sounded. Evony was a beautiful, smart, sophisticated woman. Way out of Tamsin's league. She knew that.

"Or maybe I'm too afraid of what would happen if I ever did love someone." Tamsin frowned at herself not sure how those words had left her mouth. She had never been the most communicative person when it came to personal matters. But Lauren had a way of disarming her, of making her feel comfortable like others didn't. She supposed that was what it felt like to have a true, real friend. In truth, it felt good to have someone like Lauren to talk to, though, she had a hard time admitting she needed anyone.

Lauren looked Tamsin up and down. "That dress looks beautiful on you." She said, changing the subject. She sensed she had overstepped and wanted to stop herself from pestering Tamsin too much.

"It's a little tight in the butt," Tamsin blurted out in a nervous reaction to Lauren's friendly compliment as she pulled at the back of the dress.

Within twenty minutes Tamsin, with Lauren's help, found a dress that she didn't hate. She kind of liked it. It was a cream-colored sleeveless silk dress, and it was nice enough for the event without being too outrageously priced. On the way out, she swung her bag and smiled at Lauren. "Thanks for the help. You made a weird thing less weird for me."

Lauren lifted her eyebrows, questioningly. "Weird?"

"I hate fancy stores, and I've never gone shopping with anyone before. Weird for me is normal for others."

"Anytime, really," Lauren said, putting her sunglasses on. "But I do have to get back to work."

Tamsin reached out lightly touching Lauren's arm before she walked away. "Bo's really lucky to have you. I hope she knows that."

"She knows." Smiling, Lauren pointed at Tamsin's bags. "I hope Evony likes your dress. She'd be a fool not to."

"Yeah." Tamsin snorted and then looked at her feet when she shuffled them against the street. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

XXXXXX

The week had gone by slowly and painfully as Bo worked and waited for information about her father. It was after nine at night when she finally got home. As had happened most of that week, Bo got home to a dark, empty house. Lauren was working almost around the clock to catch up on the work she'd missed. It wasn't unusual for them to work opposite schedules, it was just part of the nature of their careers.

After having a quick shower and putting clean sheets on the bed, Bo got comfortable, pulling on a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. She was exhausted but wanted to wait up for Lauren. No matter how busy they got, they always tried to fit in simple bits of togetherness, even if it ended up being only a few minutes a day.

She sat in the kitchen and feasted on a few chocolate bars. It was well past dinnertime, and she was seriously hungry and couldn't wait for Lauren. Normally, she wouldn't have candy before dinner, but she justified the snack choice because she had hardly eaten all day, and she needed the pacifying effect of the chocolate after a long day, week, month. In the past, she used marijuana and alcohol, among other things, as a crutch during stressful times and she was trying to avoid doing that. But it wasn't a good time to go low-sugar also. Life was hard enough as it was.

She read through texts from her sister and Dyson, responding with quick, short messages. She had worried that Kenzi was upset with her, but as long as they didn't discuss Harvey things were back to normal between them.

With the candy hanging halfway out of her mouth, she turned on her tablet to check her e-mail for the autopsy report. As it came to life, her wife's face filled her screen; Bo had caught her unaware in a carefree, unguarded moment. It was the main reason she loved the picture so much. No posing, just Lauren as she was at that moment. Happy. At peace. A perfect moment captured.

After staring at Lauren's captivatingly beautiful face for a long moment, she opened her inbox. She started sifting through her emails not finding what she had been looking for. She yanked out the candy in disappointment. A few days before Hale had said her father's case file would be sent over from the FBI, but it still hadn't arrived yet. And neither had the autopsy report. She was growing impatient and frustrated with the lack of information.

As she scrolled through her messages, without conscious thought, her mind leapt to scattered memories of her father talking about her mother, but admittedly those memories were few and very dim. She always thought it was too painful for him to speak about it, about her, but after the letter, she realized he was protecting himself, his secret, his lies. Bo could never relate to her father's thirst for politics. But while she hadn't been fond of his chosen profession, she thought she knew him in a way the public never could, but now she realized she had been wrong. She let the rest of those thoughts go unfinished, and took another large bite of the chocolate, her cheeks bulging to capacity.

She lost herself in her email for an hour, discarding some, reading others, and earmarking several more for later. She reached for another candy bar when her gaze caught on an email she'd missed. She opened it and fumbled with the candy wrapper. It was a message from the DA's office updating her on Doug's case. All the jurors were out of the hospital and recovering. She was relieved to read that but then cursed out loud when she finished the message. Six months. Doug's new trial wouldn't be scheduled for another six months. That madman would be running free to hurt more people. The thought momentarily paralyzed her. The sooner Doug Reed was back in jail, the better off everyone would be.

Finally, she clicked off the tablet and pushed it to the side just as Lauren's headlights flared through the window.

XXXXXX

Lauren grabbed a package off the front porch. She bent at the knees, anticipating it to be heavy, but it was light. It had Bo's name on it but no return label, so it made her curious about what could be inside. She balanced it on her hip as she unlocked the door. Inside, she pocketed her house key and called out. "Honey, I'm home."

Seconds later Bo was leaning against the doorframe, smiling across the room at her. "Hey, sexy."

"Hey, yourself." Lauren returned, with a half smile. "Did you order something?" She lifted the box into Bo's line of sight.

"No."

Frowning, Lauren placed the box on a nearby table. "There's no return address."

Bo didn't look remotely concerned. "Hope it's not a bomb," She said walking toward Lauren. She meant the words to land lightly because it was a ludicrous suggestion, but Lauren's features pinched together, letting her know she didn't hit the mark.

Lauren looked at Bo right in the eye without any humor as she approached her. "That's not funny."

One of Bo's hands found Lauren's waist. "Sorry." She said, pulling Lauren in.

Their lips met, and all thoughts of the package and everything else fled. But only for a hot second.

When Lauren pulled back, she drew the pad of her thumb along Bo's bottom lip and smiled. That smile could always brighten Bo's world no matter how stressed or bad things were. Lauren was everything to her and, at that moment, she knew that Lauren's love would save her from all the bad in her world.

"You taste like chocolate," Lauren whispered, leaning in to dust Bo's mouth with several more warm pecks.

Lauren felt Bo's lips tilt into a smirk beneath her mouth.

"I had a little snack." One of her hands moved down lazily drawing circles over Lauren's back.

"Missed you today," Lauren whispered, her lips hovering over Bo's mouth.

"I only miss you when I'm awake and when I'm not." Bo moved her head down and kissed Lauren's neck; her lips were against the pulse point at the base of her throat when she asked. "Hungry?"

Lauren leaned into Bo's body and shook her head. "I ate at the lab."

Bo eased Lauren away from her body, but not that far. "I guess, I'll find something in the fridge then."

"How's everything going in your world?" Lauren asked, her eyes intently trained on Bo.

"Good." Bo grinned at Lauren, but Lauren could still see the disquiet deep in her eyes. That she was under a tremendous strain for all that had taken place, and she was trying to hide it from everyone, but it was readily apparent to Lauren.

"Hale is having my father's case file sent over, so, if nothing else, I can read through it, and hopefully, get a few questions answered."

Bo opened her mouth to say more, but her phone chirped signaling a new email. She fished her phone out and checked it. Harvey Dennis' autopsy report filled the screen.

Seconds after looking at the email, Bo lifted her eyes to find Lauren's. "Can you take a look at this?" She held her cell so Lauren could see the documents forwarded to her by the pathologist.

Lauren took the phone and read over the top line, which had the cause of death stated as Myocardial Infarction. She skimmed through the document, and it seemed like a thorough autopsy report, typical in every way.

Letting Lauren read through the report Bo went to the fridge and pulled out some leftover pizza. Eating it cold she walked back to where Lauren stood in the living room with her eyes scanning over the phone.

Lauren scrolled through the report until she reached the section for Internal Examination of Organs, but there was no mention of any foreign odors. She continued reading the report until she reached the toxicology report.

"No drugs were in his system," Lauren commented, eyes still on the screen.

Bo swallowed hard, more of the pizza going down than was certainly advisable. "Tox screens only test for illegal drugs, not legal ones. An expanded work up doesn't happen unless the person in charge orders it, and apparently it didn't get requested. Suspicious, right?"

With her head down, Lauren kept reading, scrolling through the examination of Harvey's body. The gist was Harvey had broken fingernails on the left middle and right index finger with superficial scrapes on the fingerpads, and bruises on the knuckles.

Lauren looked up from the phone, eyebrows raised. "Look at this, the broken fingernails. Bruises." She showed Bo the phone. "How did Harvey get those?"

Bo's eyes flashed with that revelation. Processing that information, she glanced at the phone, and then back to Lauren. "That's the question of the day, isn't it?"

"In a struggle or like he fought back against something hard…" Lauren's voice trailed off, and she focused on the report again.

Bo took a bite, finishing her dinner, before speaking. "So, we are lacking a full toxicology report and the Feds ignored the broken fingernails." The desire to solve this mystery just went up for Bo. "Sometimes, I hate being right all the time."

Lauren gave the phone back to Bo, and asked her to print out the report so she could look it over more in depth later, and Bo agreed.

"What are you going to do next?"

"Keep investigating." Bo's eyes turned hard and unemotional, the way they got when she worked a case. The whole time, well for the last few days, a suspicion had been percolating in her head. "What if Rainer's just the red herring to something bigger. There has to be more going on…a third party we're missing…" She looked at Lauren, her mind raced with thoughts and scenarios. It was nice to finally have someone to truly brainstorm all this stuff with, especially, someone as smart and perceptive as Lauren. "What's a bigger motivator for murder than money?"

"Power," Lauren answered without missing a beat.

"Exactly. And my father's former political opponent, Clayton Reed, is one power hungry asshole. He has the resources and motivation to pull this whole thing off." Bo paused, in the span of a few minutes, she came up with what felt like a million questions. "But something's off. How does the missing money fit into that theory?"

A bad feeling walloped Lauren. Strong. Her gut twisted with unease. Ever since Doug had been released from jail after the mistrial, Lauren had found herself obsessing even more than usual about Bo's safety. And now Bo was investigating a potential political assassination. It was too much. She'd been concerned about Bo before, now she was downright terrified.

"Be safe, Bo." She murmured, letting her anxiety show. She was too tired to pretend all was well when it wasn't.

That statement was the same one Lauren said almost every day, but Bo knew it held extra meaning that time. It was time to reassure her. "I always am. I doubt I'm in jeopardy, but I won't lower my guard."

"We can't go around pretending there's no potential danger out there," Lauren said with a sigh. "That horrible man that shot you was released from jail, and now you think your father was murdered by that same family." She lowered her voice, and her face turned troubled. "Just imagine the type of people who would do those things…and they're both still running free. What's another body to people like that?" The last sentence was said on a faint whisper.

Bo gazed deep into her eyes the whole time Lauren spoke when she finished Bo said. "If you want me to stop investigating just say the word." Honestly, she didn't want to give up. And sure, Bo was too hardheaded to back down from exposing the truth for just about anything, but for Lauren, she would. "I would do that for you in a second."

Lauren cocked her head to the side and stared off into the distance, thinking that over. She tried to think logically, to be supportive and understand why Bo couldn't stop. It was tempting to tell Bo to walk away, but she knew not knowing the truth would eat at Bo for the rest of her life.

"I'm on your side. I want you to figure this out as bad as you do." She exhaled deeply as she gathered her thoughts. "But please, take some precautions. And promise me you won't do anything reckless."

The jolt of offense and hurt, which flared in Bo took her by surprise. She turned away from Lauren and began pacing. "I'm not doing anything unsafe." She shot back with her voice raised. She stopped to look at Lauren. "You think I'm irresponsible?"

Lauren glanced down at the space between them, then back to Bo's eyes. Inadvertently she'd touched a nerve with Bo she hadn't meant to.

"Wait, back up, I didn't mean you are irresponsible…"

Bo interrupted. "Right." She turned, took a few steps away, and added. "Listening to my wife, whom I freaking adore, tell me she thinks I'm irresponsible pisses me off."

Lauren watched Bo withdraw from her more and more. Normally, Bo wasn't so short-tempered with her. And that uncharacteristic outburst revealed how upset Bo was by everything that had happened recently. Going toe to toe with Bo in that state would accomplish nothing. Instead of getting angry herself, Lauren slowly approached Bo, but Bo wouldn't look at her. "Look at me," She said and reached up and touched Bo's face.

Bo turned her eyes to Lauren and moved her hand up to cover Lauren's hand that touched her skin.

Lauren stared into Bo's eyes as if trying to find exactly what she needed from her. "I didn't intend my words to hurt you. I just worry about what will happen if you get too close to this."

"I can take care of myself. I'm not an impulsive child, and I don't like to hear you implying that." Bo said in a clenched voice. When she was younger, she had been reckless both personally and professionally. So many times. But time and experience had taught her valuable lessons. Now she knew better. She had grown up, matured. It hurt her deeply to think Lauren didn't recognize that transformation. "I've changed. I work very hard every day to stay safe. I've got so much to live for, so much good in my life. I know there's no point in being reckless."

Lauren ignored Bo's heated tone, instead opting to prudently explain herself. "I always worry about you. You know that. And we look out for each other. That's what it means to love, right? If you fall, I fall." A short silence fell while Lauren let Bo think about that, and then she added. "I don't think you're irresponsible. I would never think that. I admire the woman you are so much."

Bo's eyes watered at the sincerity in Lauren's expression. It was everything she needed to hear. And given to her by precisely the person she wanted to hear it from. She gave herself one second to appreciate the comfort only Lauren could provide.

"I've never met a more tenacious person than you. That's what makes you a great detective. But that tenacity can also lead you into dangerous situations. That was my concern."

Bo parted her lips, her eyes narrowing as she absorbed Lauren's words. Disgusted with herself, Bo shifted her eyes to the ceiling. She'd been acting like a colossal idiot. She could argue that her life was in outrageous flux since her father's death, but that was a lame justification, and she hated excuses. She was responsible for her own actions. Her reaction had been knee-jerk, and out of line, and she hadn't meant to pick a fight with her wife. This woman loved her; she'd been a pillar of strength and comfort during so many dark moments, and she certainly deserved better than her snapping at her.

Bo brought her gaze back to Lauren's face. The face she had loved for so long, a face so beautiful, so understanding and so forgiving. Something eased inside her, and she could think clearly again. They stood like that for a while, the tension falling off.

"I guess the stress is starting to get to me. But that's no excuse to snap at you. I'm done freaking out." She took Lauren's hand off her cheek and kissed her palm softly.

"Freak out on me. I can handle it. There's no problem that's too big we can't handle together. But we both know things break down between us when we stop communicating. That can't happen."

"You're right," Bo said, once again filled with regret that she'd overreacted. She had no doubt Lauren's concerns were coming from a place of unconditional love. "Of course you're right. I'm sorry."

Lauren squeezed Bo's other hand warmly, and Bo felt the loving energy bolt throughout her body. "Do you regret being sentenced to a lifetime of loving me?" Bo smiled and deliberately took a light tone when she spoke to reassure Lauren that her dark mood was over.

Lauren eased back a bit, smiled too, and then turned serious. "Never. I've always got your back. And I only think the best of you."

"I know you do, my love. I'm so sorry for acting like an asshole." Bo murmured the words into the soft spot between Lauren's shoulder and her neck. Her tongued darted out to taste Lauren's flesh, a wet swipe followed by a quick kiss. "Thanks for being you."

Bo's arms tightened around Lauren, and they held one another in a drawn-out hug. When they broke apart, something passed between them and no more words needed to be said at that moment. After years of practice, they had learned how to bounce back easily from any small disagreements or misunderstandings.

Eager to get out of her work clothes, and to fully put the tense conversation behind them, Lauren pulled at her scrubs. "Let me get changed and then we can give each other massages."

Bo held onto Lauren. She never could've imagined she would have ever found the love she'd found with Lauren. She didn't want to be the type of woman who put herself first, and not her wife. She'd caused Lauren enough anxiety over the years. Lauren deserved peace and happiness, and she would do everything in her power to give her that. After she had solved her father's case, she would re-evaluate her life, her career, and turn in her badge if she needed to.

"Why are you so good to me?" Bo asked, pulling herself back from her thoughts.

"Simple. I love you." She kissed Bo's lips and spun away to freshen up.

Feeling better, Bo tilted her head and eyed Lauren's backside. "Damn, you look good walking away."

Lauren looked over her shoulder and blew Bo a kiss.

Bo let out a low whistle. "It's criminal how much I love that ass." Admiringly, Bo watched as Lauren laughed and swayed her hips from side to side as she sauntered into their bedroom. She knew she was doing it for her benefit, and she appreciated the view.

Smiling, Bo looked away from Lauren, and her eyes landed on the package. As her eyes stayed on the box, dread snaked around her like a rubber band constricting her lungs and her smile melted away. She realized the package hadn't been on the porch when she got home hours before. Did FedEx deliver packages that late at night? She didn't think that was likely. Maybe a neighbor had gotten it by mistake and dropped it off; she told herself, though, she didn't believe that for some reason.

With a quick glance over her shoulder to see if Lauren was around, Bo got a pocketknife and popped the blade. She slid it slowly over the tape, cutting it front to back. She pulled the flaps open and saw packing peanuts covering whatever was inside the box. She couldn't see anything inside, so she pushed her hand in and out to feel around. She had a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach when she pulled out a fat accordion-style file folder.

It took Bo a moment to realize what she was looking at. When she finally did, goose bumps covered her entire body. She swallowed, mouth suddenly dry. Oh no. No no no no…

They looked like surveillance photos. Hi-res, glossy, recently printed. Each of the two hundred or so photos provided a different angle of the same two subjects: Lauren and Kenzi. Some psychopath was stalking them everywhere they went for the past few days. She pored through the photos, grimacing at each one. The last in the pile was of Lauren entering the clinic that very morning with crosshairs drawn over her face.

At the bottom of the box, she discovered a note. A simple, direct, and to the point warning: _Forget about the senator's death. This is your only chance to exit this investigation gracefully. It's going to get ugly if you don't._

That triggered a flood of emotions, and Bo collapsed, resting her hands on her knees. It seemed her questions about her father had put a target on her loved one's backs. Suddenly, she felt very sick. She ran to the sink in the kitchen and gave up everything in her stomach.

 **XXXXX**

 **AN**

 **Next up: With her family threatened Bo comes up with a plan to get answers.**

 **As always thanks for reading and reviewing.**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN**

 **This chapter contains sexy times cuz BoLo priorities**

 **XXXXXX**

The chorus of raised voices had roused Lauren into a sitting position. She hadn't slept much, if at all. Her concern about Bo and the stalker had led to her insomnia returning. She had been plagued with periods of insomnia for much of high school and into medical school. It came and went, triggered during high-stress times, and it was back in full force. She always refused to take any sleeping aids because it messed her up too badly the next day.

She scrubbed her hands down her face in a vain attempt to wake up her tired mind. Her body ached with fatigue as the sleepless night had caught up with her. Sighing, she kicked back the covers and reached for her robe.

The idea of someone stalking her movements had her unsettled and skeeved out. It made her feel exposed and completely vulnerable like she was at the mercy of someone else's will. It was a horrible violation, as well as a clear threat.

A shiver ran through her from the aftermath of those thoughts, and she hugged herself tight. Suddenly, nauseous, she closed her eyes and gave herself a second, just a second. But loud voices from outside the bedroom ended the moment.

Lauren was too far away to hear the conversation, but there was no way she was mistaken that Bo was arguing with someone.

Stifling a yawn, she headed to the restroom. After she had taken care of her morning business, she splashed cold water on her face. Looking up at her reflection, she studied the bruised-looking circles under her eyes.

"Stop, Lauren," She said to the face in the mirror. "Please stop worrying. You're safe, Bo's safe, Kenzi's safe…We're all fine."

After giving herself the worst pep talk ever, she reached for a towel and blotted the excess water from her face as she took a deep breath. Still blurry-eyed she left the bathroom quickly. After crossing the room, she paused at the door and listened to the shouting match outside.

"It's a sound plan. We can't sit around and do nothing."

"Oh hell, Bo."

"Dyson does have a point. Sounds dangerous."

With an exhausted body and mind, Lauren walked into the kitchen, only to find Hale and Dyson surrounding Bo with the photos scattered over the table. Hale was dusting the photos for prints and putting them in what looked like evidence bags to Lauren.

"Sorry to interrupt," Lauren said when no one noticed her enter the room.

They all glanced her way briefly but continued to argue. All three cops were boisterous and heated, each so determined to make their points they were talking over each other. She wondered if they were even listening to one another.

"We're not sitting around. We're brainstorming how to get to the bottom of this." Dyson said, shoving his hand through his hair.

Bo pointed at the photos in Hale's hand. "And while we brainstorm my family's in danger. What if it was YOUR family?"

Dyson's complexion got very red, an array of emotions radiating off him. "Shit, Bo. It IS my family. How dare you say that to me."

Wishing for something to do that didn't leave her standing silently in the middle of the room while they argued, Lauren walked to the coffee pot. The smell of coffee wafted her senses, the aroma tickling her fatigued mind. A jolt of caffeine would keep her going for a few hours, so she poured herself a cup, making it with extra cream and sugar. As she took the first sip, the sugar and caffeine zipped through her system, giving her that much-needed boost of wakefulness.

Bo was silent for a long time, long enough that she began to squirm under Dyson's hurt gaze. "Sorry." She sat back in her chair and crossed her arms as she glared back at Dyson. "There's something truly evil about these people. You can't expect me just to sit on my hands and do nothing when someone threatens my family. You bet you ass I'm going to take them down."

"We all want that. But you have no evidence the Reeds are involved in this." Hale said, slipping a photo into a bag.

Dyson shook his head in apparent dismay. "Listen, Bo…"

"No, you listen." Fury, hot and potent, flew through Bo. As an officer of the law, she was charged with keeping people safe, and she'd be damned if she couldn't keep her own family from danger. "Clayton Reed's a politician. He wants to win and will do anything to get what he wants. He stands to gain the most from my father's death."

Listening to the conversation behind her, Lauren stared into her coffee and then reached for a raisin muffin. Tired. She was so tired from the sleepless nights.

"Yes, but there's no evidence pointing to that family's involvement. You're jumping the gun here. I thought your suspect was that Rainer character."

"Everyone's a suspect until they're not. Once I look directly into Clayton's eyes, I'll know. Then I'll nail that scumbag." A lump of emotion in Bo's throat reduced her voice to a whisper. "For my family and everyone else he's hurt. Everything inside me tells me that the Reed's are involved."

"Or someone wants you to think that. It's a conflict of interest for you to investigate this, and you know it."

Bo's face was tight with tension and fatigue, as she looked Dyson up and down. "You seem to be in major denial mode. What gives? Your lack of trust in me is becoming a disturbing pattern."

Dyson winced at Bo's words and then hardened his expression. "You're playing with fire, Bo, and now you want to pour gasoline on yourself before you have any evidence. That's your problem. You never think, you just do."

In a blind rage, Bo picked up her coffee mug and threw it across the room and watched with satisfaction as it hit the wall and shattered into pieces. "I wish everyone would stop saying that to me! I do think things through."

Startled, Lauren and Hale froze watching the scene unfold before them. Lauren darted her eyes back and forth between Dyson and Bo, and then the remnants of the coffee mug. She loved Dyson like a brother but loved Bo more than anything, and when they argued, it always left her in an awkward position. But she was just too exhausted to react, so she silently crossed the room to clean up Bo's mess.

"Ever since you got Ciara pregnant, you've lost your edge. Don't think I haven't noticed…"

As Lauren picked up the pieces of broken glass, she wondered if she should play the peacekeeper and stop the argument, but decided against it. In a tense situation, sometimes, the best thing to do was to get everything out in the open. She felt it was better to let them hash out their differences without her involvement. Dyson and Bo had their own dynamic outside of her, and it wasn't her place to insert herself in the middle of it.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm a father now, and I don't get to make stupid decisions anymore. You're not a parent, Bo; you don't understand the responsibility that comes with it."

After the mess was cleaned up, Lauren took a seat next to Hale; words flew past her as the argument between Dyson and Bo continued.

"Where's Kenzi?" Lauren whispered to Hale, who wasn't involving himself in the argument anymore.

Hale finished dusting the photos and then sagged back in the chair, and removed his latex gloves. "Home. We didn't want to get her more upset than necessary. But I have a police cruiser parked outside to watch over her."

Letting out a quick yawn, Lauren rested her head on the table and gazed up at Hale. "So, she doesn't know what's going on?"

"She knows, but I thought it best if she stayed at home where it's safe." Briefly, Hale's jaw clenched with tension. "She's been through a lot."

Lauren patted his hand and gave it a little squeeze. "Let me know if you two need anything."

Hale met Lauren's eyes, gave her a small smile and quick head nod in response.

A short time later, Lauren finished her coffee. Rattled and annoyed with Bo and Dyson, Lauren interrupted them. "What are we arguing about?"

They both turned to look at her. Bo's eyes widened when they landed on her as if she had forgotten she was there.

Bo retrieved Lauren's hand and brought it to her lips, as she did Dyson spoke up. "Bo's investigation has brought the wolves to your door, and now she wants to walk into a party and confront her suspects based on zero evidence, instead of going to the FBI."

Bo dropped Lauren's hand and narrowed her eyes on Dyson. "The FBI botched the first investigation; we can't risk involving them. Not yet. We have to continue working this under their radar."

"The Reed family patronizes several charities, and they've got a large event coming up at their estate," Hale explained as Bo and Dyson shot daggers at one another, and never answered Lauren's question.

"It's the perfect plan." Bo cut in as she tapped her fingers on her cell. She flipped the screen around, showing Lauren the information about the event. "Going to that event gives me a chance to look them in the eye and canvas the estate. And the odds of someone actually attempting to hurt us in public are slim to none."

"But the event is invitation-only," Hale said in a clipped tone that revealed he was as annoyed with the arguing as Lauren was.

"I think I know someone that can get us tickets." Lauren offered, reading over the details on the screen.

"Who?" The three cops asked her at the same time.

XXXXXX

"Well, well, well. I knew you'd come to me eventually."

"I need a favor." Lauren brushed past Evony entering her office and took a seat in front of her desk.

With a grin, Evony closed the door behind Lauren. "I've got to say; I'm surprised to hear you coming to me for a favor." She said, crossing her office to her desk. She perched herself on the edge, next to Lauren. She crossed her toned, lightly tanned legs in front of Lauren.

Lauren glanced down at her hands, took a second to summon the fortitude to ask what needed to be asked, and then looked back at Evony. "I need you to get me tickets to the charity event you are attending with Tamsin. At Clayton Reed's estate."

Evony ticked her manicured nails against the desk while studying Lauren carefully. "Have you gotten bitten by a philanthropic bug, Dr. Lewis?"

Lauren brushed off the snide comment. "It's a sensitive matter."

Evony chortled with laughter. "And who is more sensitive than I?"

"Please, Evony, it's important to me," Lauren said, feeling half-awkward and half-annoyed for pleading with her.

Eyebrow cocked, Evony stared down at Lauren. "And what do I get for my kind-hearted gesture?"

"What do you want?" Lauren asked, confounded.

Evony laughed again and then studied Lauren for a long, long moment.

Lauren sighed, of course, Evony was going to make this difficult. She wanted a large shot of alcohol, and she wanted to get out of there. She fought that urge and stayed put. No backing out. No turning around. She needed Evony's help. "Cut the crap, Evony. This is serious." She snapped when she didn't say anything.

Evony rose from her desk and circled it, taking off her white lab coat, and revealing a low cut black dress she wore underneath. She took an inordinately long time placing the coat on the back of the chair while Lauren waited impatiently. When she finished, she slipped into her chair behind the desk.

When their eyes met, Lauren raised both eyebrows in a silent prompt for Evony to answer her question.

Evony leaned back in her chair, her diamond earrings catching the light. "I want an evening alone with you."

Lauren's mouth fell open, gaping in surprise. She was so insulted and outraged that she almost stammered. "Are you indecent proposaling me?"

Evony laughed again. "You ought to consider a career in stand-up comedy."

Lauren blinked, trying to figure out where Evony was going with that. When given the opportunity Evony never missed a chance to belittle or bait her. She realized that asking Evony for any help would have to come with strings attached.

Sobering, Evony set her elbows on the desk and leaned toward Lauren. "I love how your mind goes right to sex, noteworthy I think. But you best get that ego under check. I don't need bribes to get you or anyone else into my bed."

And that, Lauren thought, was definitely her cue to go. "It was a mistake coming here." She rose from the chair, hoping she sounded appropriately dismissive. "I'll find another way."

"You won't. The event's very exclusive. You need me, Dr. Lewis."

Scoffing and remembering she was planning her escape, Lauren spun around and marched to the door.

"Are you afraid of what might happen if we're alone together?"

Rolling her eyes, Lauren paused, with her hand on the doorknob. "Absolutely, not."

"Then it's an easy choice. You'll have your tickets, and all I ask is for one evening with you. To discuss my job offer."

Slowly, Lauren turned to face Evony but kept her distance. "You can't be so desperate for doctors. What's really going on here? I don't have the time or patience to try to find out. So just tell me."

Evony grew very still for just a second, and then her eyes flashed with sadness, regret, or resignation. Lauren couldn't really tell. She had no idea why, but something in her reaction had drawn her attention. Evony seemed human to her for the first time, and not some cold, calculating, taunting caricature.

But quickly the moment passed, and Evony donned a smirk, standing from her chair. "I don't make it a habit of explaining my behavior."

"Well, I'd like an explanation as to why, out of all the doctors in the world, you seem to be so obsessed with me working here."

"I'm not obsessed. But I'm in need of fresh talent around here. Your narcissism and significant personality failings aside, you're a great doctor. A one-in-a-million kind of doctor. I hate seeing you go to such an awful waste."

"Why do you say that?"

"No reason in particular. Just a vibe you give out. You need to be challenged, and when you're not, you're not happy. Not on the inside."

Lauren's eyes bugged, and for a moment she was too stunned to speak. "You barely know me." She said at length.

"I'm a trained observer. I'm not ignorant of what your aspirations are, and for a woman as smart as you think you are, I find it hard to believe you'd want to waste away in that hovel of a clinic."

Lauren fumed in silence at Evony's blunt assumptions about her as Evony rounded the desk. She sauntered over to Lauren, who still stood at the door.

"I'm not in the business of giving out favors, without getting something in return. It's a simple request. I'd like an opportunity to pitch you my job offer. Whatever you believe, rest assured my intentions are pure, and only related to work."

Lauren took a moment to mull that over. "Okay. We can talk about work, after we get the tickets, after the event." She spoke in the professional tone she used on patients. The difficult patients.

Evony reached past Lauren to open the door. Her shoulder brushed against Lauren's body as she moved. Human bodies came into contact all the time. It was normal. Common, really. And certainly, nothing for Lauren to dwell on, or worry about, she told herself. Even so, Lauren stepped back to a respectable distance and folded her arms across her chest.

"You have yourself a deal. I'll have my assistant send the tickets over as soon as possible."

"Thank you," Lauren said, before leaving the office to find Bo in the lobby.

XXXXXX

"Are you ever going to tell me what happened in there?" Bo asked as she drove them back home from the hospital.

Lauren took a moment to think it over. She disliked keeping things from Bo, but she didn't want to upset Bo by getting into a discussion about Evony.

"We got the tickets."

"Great."

Lauren glanced at Bo and forced herself to be truthful even when she'd prefer to keep the next part to herself for awhile.

"Evony wants an evening alone with me in exchange for the invitations." Lauren waited expectantly, imagining what Bo would have to say about that.

For a brief second, Bo's mind went completely blank with shock. After she had absorbed the words, an irrational jealousy swept through her. "She wants you to fuck her?"

Lauren rolled her eyes at Bo's crudeness. "No! Just a meeting to talk about work. You know she's been trying to recruit me."

Bo wanted to act mature and not give into jealousy, but it wasn't always easy. She didn't want Evony's eyes leering on her wife for hours. Before she knew it, the words were plummeting from her mouth as if she was on autopilot. "Bullshit. She'll be flashing you lusty eyes and making suggestive comments the entire time."

"We got the tickets. That's what you wanted, right?" Lauren snapped, completely losing her patience. After the days of aggravation and very little sleep, she had no mental barriers left.

Bo growled inwardly. "Yes, but it sounds shady to me. What's wrong with this woman? Why is she so interested in you?"

"I can handle Evony. For you to think I'd do anything with her is extremely insulting. Don't you trust me?"

"Without a doubt. But I don't trust her." Bo said, ignoring the ache circulating in her chest as the conversation escalated into a fight. She hated nothing more than being out of sorts with Lauren. And, admittedly, it had been happening more frequently. They were two very strong-willed people, and that meant no matter what they would occasionally clash. But that didn't mean Bo liked it when they did. She wasn't sure why she was getting so riled up about this; it shouldn't bug her so much. Not when they were facing bigger, real problems. But it did bother her.

Lauren stared at Bo, genuinely upset by her response. "Well, you don't have to trust her, only me."

A tiny part of Bo's mind recognized she was overreacting, but she simply couldn't help it. "Yeah, you're right. But it does bother me to think about that woman hitting on you for an entire evening. Can you not see why that might upset me?"

"As if I'm some wide-eyed, innocent just waiting to be seduced by Evony's charms. Give me more credit than that."

Bo blew out an exasperated breath and switched tactics. "It's not a good idea for you to have a meeting with her when someone's out there stalking you."

Lauren glared at Bo, her eyes blazing with frustration and aggravation, but also love, the love that was permanently present. "I know that. I don't plan on going until the situation is resolved."

The stony silence that followed worked on Bo's nerves. She glanced over and found Lauren staring out the window, lost in her own thoughts, far, far away from her. That distance alarmed her.

"Babe."

Lauren didn't answer, didn't blink, didn't seem even to notice or care she was there.

Reaching over, Bo curled her hand around Lauren's knee. "Thank you for getting the tickets for me. I know you didn't like going to Evony for help. It means a lot that you did that for me."

"Us." Lauren corrected, her eyes finally shifted from the window to focus on Bo.

Bo shook her head back and forth quickly multiple times. "No way, Lauren, you aren't coming."

"Yes, I am," Lauren stated with a finality that caused Bo to clamp her lips closed and focus on the road ahead without arguing. She knew there were some battles she wouldn't win with her wife, and Lauren's tone told her this was one of those times. Lauren would accompany her to the event whether she liked it or not.

XXXXX

At home, Bo sat in a large armchair with her head bent, looking at her phone. They hadn't talked much since the car ride. Lauren remained quiet and withdrawn the entire evening, so Bo was giving her space. Yeah, maybe she had screwed up. She handled the Evony situation like a jackass, but in her own defense, it seriously upset her.

"What are you doing?" Lauren asked, joining her in the room.

Bo's face lit up when she saw Lauren there. And just like it always did when Lauren walked into a room, her heart skipped a beat at the sight of her.

"Setting up the security system. I put up cameras around the perimeter of the house, and the feed goes to my phone." Seconds later, she showed Lauren a set of keys. "This red button on the key fob, press it, and it notifies me that you're in trouble and broadcasts your position to me immediately."

Lauren took the set of keys from Bo, and looked it over, and then handed it back to her without comment.

Bo had placed her phone and the keys on the side table before she held out her arms to Lauren. "Come here."

Without any hesitancy, Lauren snuggled into Bo's body on the chair. Bo felt warm and strong, and she needed it. She felt like hell and exhausted from the lack of sleep and stress, but there she found the kind of peace only found in her wife's arms. She felt safe, treasured and protected in Bo's embrace. Nothing could touch or hurt her when Bo was holding her.

Bo rested her head on Lauren's shoulder, surrounded by the clean, fresh scent of her, of home. "I thought you were pissed at me."

Leaning into Bo, she absorbed her warmth. Her love. "I'm not pissed. I'm annoyed."

"Tell me what I'm supposed to say. What do you need to hear?"

Silently, Lauren pulled back enough to glare at her, and Bo knew instantly she'd said the wrong thing.

Lauren pulled further away from her, but Bo looped her arms around to stop her. Finally, her brain caught up, and she suddenly saw how silly she was acting.

"I trust you, Lauren. Okay? I swear I do." Bo softened her voice, mentally kicking herself for acting so foolishly jealous. "We're under enough stress without worrying about something as trivial as Evony. There is no reason to get upset about a simple meeting. It was the epitome of an overreaction."

"All right."

"That's all? You're not still angry?"

Lauren shook her head in response.

Comforted that Lauren wasn't upset, but also embarrassed by her behavior, Bo said, "I've handled so many things all wrong, lately. With Kenzi, Dyson and you. I'm sorry about all the stupid disagreements we've had. I didn't mean to act jealous over nothing…really I didn't. I know it's not easy to love me. I'm messy, I can be stubborn, I curse too much, I get jealous, I'm hotheaded…"

"Well, no one's exempt from human foibles, including petty jealousy," Lauren said with a teasing grin, ready to put all the ridiculousness behind them. "We're all just triggered by different things."

For the first time that day Bo laughed. "Say foibles again."

Lauren framed Bo's face with her hands and brushed a soft kiss on her lips. "Foibles."

As always, Lauren's lips electrified Bo, but weighing heavily on her mind was the Reed charity event coming up, and the threatening note. "Our life can't always be as crazy as it's been recently, can it?" She asked with her eyes still closed after Lauren's kiss.

Sighing, Lauren traced a finger over the faint scar on Bo's shoulder. "I hope not." She said, and then planted a trail of kisses over the scar. "But probably."

Tears stung Bo's eyes at the thought of Lauren or Kenzi suffering because of her actions. "With everything that's happening, I feel like I'm having trouble catching my breath."

Bo's softly spoken words went right to Lauren's heart. She answered by caressing Bo's face and then replacing her hand with her lips.

Bo pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes, wishing to stop the tears. "Seeing those pictures…. Thinking about a lunatic stalking you and my sister." She sighed heavily. "Maybe Dyson's right. I brought this on us; I feel like I've failed you and Kenzi so profoundly."

"No, you didn't. It's not your fault. Don't take that on. It's not fair to second-guess yourself from the perception of hindsight. You had questions about the investigation and no reason to believe any of this would happen."

"But that's not really true, is it? People did warn me. But I didn't want to sit idly by and let them get away with it, so I ignored the warnings. And I'm still ignoring the warnings. What happens if I'm right, and they retaliate?"

Used to Bo's confident demeanor, seeing her so lost and doubting herself was jarring to Lauren. "Do you think we'd feel any safer if you did nothing? Do you think the threat would go away?"

Bo thought about that for a moment before she answered. "No."

"We have to take the threats seriously, and it is a risk to go to the event. But ending the investigation, or doing nothing, wouldn't neutralize the threat. There isn't a right or wrong decision here. It's simply deciding how to proceed in an impossible situation."

Bo appreciated that Lauren got it. Got her. She usually did. Her empathetic nature was one of the things that made her the best person Bo had ever known. Or would ever know.

"I'm scared," Bo said, dejected. She cleared the fear and emotion from her throat. "And that makes me feel weak, and I hate feeling weak."

Lauren's eyes went soft with compassion. Listening to Bo, she wanted to give her something, something to make things better and she wished she could take away all the grief, uncertainty, the lurking danger. But all she had was words, so she said. "Being strong doesn't mean you have no fear, no vulnerabilities. It simply means being able to work around them, and accept it as a part of you."

Bo studied her for a long, intense moment as if she was mentally making some sort of decision. "Once things calm down a bit, we'll make some changes."

Lauren perked up with uneasiness at those words. "Changes?"

Bo took Lauren's hand and kissed the platinum band she'd placed on her finger so many years before. Even now, the sight of that ring never failed to stir up emotions in her. "What would you think if I resigned from my position once all this is over."

Lauren stared at Bo, wondering if she'd heard her correctly. "You're freaking me out a little."

"Why? Because I think we…I need some changes."

That suggestion was so wildly out of character for Bo, it scared Lauren. "No, because this doesn't sound like you. You're a detective. It's not just what you do. It's who you are. You don't want to give up your passion; I know you better than that."

"But what if I want to be someone different. Am I not permitted to be anything but a detective?"

Cradling Bo's hands gently between both of her hands, Lauren looked at her with her heart in her eyes. "You are more than capable of being anything you want to be, but the one thing you can't do is make big life decisions right now. This is not the time to be having this conversation."

Hesitating, Bo glanced away for a moment before she brought her gaze to meet Lauren's. "I thought it'd make you happy. Then you wouldn't have to worry about me, anymore. I want you to feel safe. Whatever it takes. Whatever I have to do. You deserve everything. And I would give you the world if I could."

Those statements hung in the space between them for what felt like an hour. Bo eyed her tentatively. "Tell me what you're thinking, babe. Please."

While Lauren appreciated what Bo was trying to do for her, the weight of guilt Lauren would feel if Bo quit her job was something Lauren couldn't carry with her. She looked down at their joined bodies and then back at Bo and chose her words carefully. "I would never ask you to give up your career for me. I admit to fretting about you every day, and I get shaken up when something bad happens, but I love you enough to let you be you, even with all the risks and dangers you face."

"Quitting won't change me. I'll be the same woman you woke up with this morning, even if I'm no longer a cop."

Lauren looked at Bo with interest for a long moment, and finally, she said, "If you want to resign, legitimately want to do that, then, you'll have my support. But please don't make any decisions for any other reason than because it's what you want. It's not the time to make that decision. You're still grieving your father. On multiple fronts."

"So when exactly is the right time for a conversation like this?"

"I don't know, but I don't believe today is that day."

Bo sank back in the chair with her eyes far away. Lauren made a good point about the bad timing, and she had definitely given her plenty to think about. For someone who loved her work as much as Bo, it was bizarre and unsettling that she had thoughts of quitting. She wondered if it's truly what she wanted or if she was just running away from the tough stuff.

When Bo remained silent for a prolonged moment, Lauren said. "Hang in there, Bo. All this is temporary. The darkness will pass, even when it seems like it won't."

Lauren's voice shook Bo out of her thoughts. She smiled and pulled Lauren closer. "Dr. Lewis," She said on a whisper, her lips close to Lauren's ear. "I love you, right now. And the next moment, and every moment after that."

"Same, Detective Dennis."

XXXXXX

After some serious snuggling in the chair, they went to their bedroom at midnight.

Lauren went up to Bo, pressing her supremely sexy body into Bo's. She rubbed shamelessly against Bo, telling her exactly what was on her mind.

"Bo," Lauren kissed her, hooking her arm around her neck to keep her in place. "I want you right now," She whispered many passionate moments later, "Please."

Licking her lips, Bo's hand cruised down her side and came to a stop on her hip. "Babe," She said, sounding half desperate as her fingers from her other hand tunneled into Lauren's hair. "Wait…"

Lauren's hands found Bo's stomach under her shirt and Bo groaned from what she was doing to her. Slowly, Lauren's fingers slid down inside her pants, causing Bo to suck in a sharp breath. Leaning back in, Lauren brought her lips to hover over Bo's mouth. "Why?"

With their lips almost touching Bo wanted nothing more than to kiss Lauren, instead, she said, "I'll have sex with you anytime, any place." After one long tongue-tangling kiss, she withdrew and added, "But what does it say about us, that even in the midst of everything else that's going on, we can still be thinking about sex, wanting each other so much?"

Lauren kept her lips close to Bo's. "That we're very fortunate to have each other," She whispered, keeping her movements inside and out of Bo's pants slow and measured.

"Yes, we are," Bo looked into Lauren's face, noting the fatigue that clung to her during her bouts of insomnia. "But you must be tired. You need sleep."

Lauren removed her hand to place it on Bo's shoulder. "Me and sleep have a turbulent relationship, and we're not getting along at the moment." She punctuated her words with a brush of her lips over Bo's mouth.

"Which is why you should…"

Lauren kissed the words right off Bo's lips. "Shhhh," She murmured, arching into Bo's body. "Just relax and let me love you." She knew important things were happening around them, but the fact was, at that moment, she couldn't bring herself to care. She needed Bo's touch, that touch that made her brain go on a sabbatical, a long, long sexy sabbatical.

Lauren captured Bo's lips and sucked all the oxygen from Bo in a mind-altering kiss that cleared her thoughts of everything but the urge to rip every piece of clothes off her body.

Without a second thought, Lauren grabbed her shirt and with a rough yank she ripped the two sides apart, sending buttons flying across the room. The gesture hit its desired mark, and Bo's eyes went wide. Lauren could always see how much Bo liked her body by the way her eyes heated up. It was exhilarating, intoxicating that Bo wanted her so much. Nothing could ever compare to the way Bo made her feel, desired, sexy, powerful and loved. Always loved. She felt Bo's love in every glance, every caress, every breath.

"See something you like?" Lauren asked with the smirk as she let the shirt fall off her shoulders and onto the floor.

Bo dropped her gaze and tugged Lauren's bra strap down. Lauren's breasts tumbled out, causing Bo's focus to narrow with precision.

Lauren watched Bo's hand move upward over her stomach, over her ribs until the backs of her fingers brushed her breasts. The soft touch was almost torturous, and her nipples jutted in unabashed arousal. She kept her movements up Lauren's body slow and then ran her fingers under Lauren's chin. Her thumb brushed Lauren's lips, then slipped slightly in, letting Lauren's teeth nip at her.

Bo held Lauren's gaze, her eyes hot and lusty. "I love everything about you."

Lauren rocked with a chuckle at the predictable response. "Everything, huh?"

Bo lowered her mouth and cupped Lauren's breast, and teased her nipple with her tongue in a slow circle. With her fingers threaded into Bo's hair, Lauren's head lolled back; Bo was driving her nearly delirious with desire. The slow, deliberate swipes of Bo's tongue synchronized with her palm that moved up to give Lauren's other breast attention. She drew the nipple deep into her mouth. She grazed her teeth over the taut peak, making Lauren hold her breath.

"Everything, but obviously some things more than others." She whispered into Lauren's skin, slipping her index finger into Lauren's underwear as she spoke.

Lauren's thighs fell apart as Bo's fingertips moved lower, dancing softly over her sensitive flesh sending her clit throbbing with the need to be touched. Unable to wait any longer, Lauren reached around and hauled Bo into her arms. When Bo's body slammed against hers, Lauren shoved her back onto the bed.

Lauren swept up Bo's body, dropping a trail of messy kisses over the tops of her breasts, neck, up to her mouth. After their lips had fused for a long moment, Lauren broke the connection. She grabbed the waist of Bo's pants and tugged them down over her hips and off her legs as she staggered back off the bed. With a mischievous expression, she tossed the pants to the ground.

Bo slumped back against the mattress, breathing heavily, feasting on the sight of Lauren slowly undoing her own zipper, then her jeans, bra, and underwear dropped to the floor. She moved toward Bo again, wearing nothing at all. Just looking at Lauren as she approached her, naked and completely turned on, was about the sexiest thing Bo'd ever seen.

Crawling onto the bed, Lauren pushed Bo's shirt up and over her head, and then made short work of getting rid of her bra.

Bo sat up and, never took her eyes off Lauren as she took her into her arms. With warm naked skin against more warm naked skin, they both sighed in pleasure. Bo's fingers gripped Lauren's bottom at the same time as she captured her lips. With mouths locked together, Lauren adjusted her position resting on her knees and straddling Bo.

"Tell me you want me, again," Bo said between deep breaths and kisses.

"I want you," Lauren whispered, covering Bo's mouth, kissing her into silence.

Bo bit Lauren's bottom lip, making her gasp. Smiling, her hands moved over Lauren's body with gentle strokes that had Lauren aching for more. Her hand wandered down between her legs, finding Lauren's clit and rubbing slow, lazy circles.

Burning up from the inside out, Lauren gripped a fistful of Bo's silky brown hair. Answering her Bo plunged a single finger into the hot, wet folds that parted in welcome, and they both groaned at the contact.

Bo stroked in and out of her, closing her eyes briefly to savor the feeling of Lauren, and then quickly snapped them open as not to miss the exquisite sight of desire flaring across Lauren's beautiful features.

It didn't take long for Lauren's breathing to speed up, as the pleasurable sensations built within her. Arching her back, pressing closer to Bo, Lauren's eyes fluttered shut. Her moans deepened and she began to move, her hips rocking faster and faster against Bo's hand.

"Am I making you feel good?" Bo asked. She licked a line from Lauren's neck to her earlobe, taking it into her mouth, and sucking.

"Mmmm," Lauren muttered as Bo slipped another finger into her, keeping a hard and steady pace. As Lauren shuttered with pleasure, Bo's thumb found her clit, rubbing over it with enough pressure that a moan trembled on Lauren's lips. "Yes." She answered, breathlessly, wrapping her arms around Bo's neck. "So good."

Lauren bit her lip to hold back the urge to cry out. Bo knew exactly what she liked best and never failed to give it to her. She was on the cusp of coming, that mindless place where her body was too full of pleasure to care about anything else, but the need for release. She let the floodgates open, moaning with abandon.

"Don't close your eyes, love. I need to see you." Bo rasped, her hand moving quickly in and out.

Their eyes met, locking. Lauren's eyes hooded, her lips parted in a constant pant as she moved her hips in time with Bo's fingers.

"Touch yourself," Bo said, her voice quiet, her eyes dancing over Lauren's body.

Lauren shivered at the command, and bucked up toward her touch. Bo watched, eyes dark as Lauren slowly, teasingly skimmed her hand over her own breasts as they moved with each rotation of her hips. Watching Bo watch her, she squeezed her breasts in her hand and pinched her ever-so-sensitive nipples, sending tremors all throughout her body.

Overcome with just how hot that sight was, Bo pushed her fingers harder and faster into Lauren, her free arm circling Lauren's body to help hold her up.

A spiral tightened deep inside Lauren, becoming more and more intense. As she started to fall apart, Bo rubbed her clit with more force, as she buried her fingers deeper inside. It felt so good, Lauren sucked in a breath and moaned Bo's name as she released the air. Then she was coming, long and hard, while Bo kept on rubbing, dragging out each tremor for all it was worth. Bo's lips caught hers and kissed her through the rest of her climax.

It was a long time before they stopped moving, and kissing.

Lauren felt washed with a warm, full satisfaction as her body relaxed into Bo. She rested her head on her shoulder. "Thank you."

Bo silently laughed that Lauren thanked her, and combed her fingers through her hair.

"That was amazing." Lauren murmured, kissing Bo's shoulder as she tugged Bo against her.

Without giving Lauren any more time to recover, Bo pushed her against the mattress. She ran her nose up Lauren's throat, her tongue spreading out to lightly taste her skin.

"Mmm," Lauren hummed as Bo worked her way down her body, kissing and licking over her abdomen. Her mouth descended to the curve of Lauren's hipbone, restarting the tingling desire between Lauren's legs. The familiar signs of another impending climax filled Lauren, even though she was still dazed, and overwhelmed in the aftermath of her first spectacular orgasm.

"Bo," Lauren whispered thickly, reaching out to stroke her hair. "Wait, I want to touch you, too."

"Not tonight. Tonight is about me paying homage to your gorgeous body." Bo ran her chin over Lauren's bare skin. The smoothness of it sent goose bumps skittering in every direction. She wanted to give Lauren more, maybe in a small way to make up for her behavior from earlier.

Bo's hands and lips seemed to be everywhere at once until finally, she settled below her. She ran her hands from her knees to her inner thighs, spreading them as she went. Her lips followed the same path, before her hands were on Lauren's bottom, lifting her to her mouth.

"You're so pretty," Lauren said, her voice more air than sound. She pushed her hips up toward Bo's mouth.

Bo chuckled, and lowered her face between Lauren's legs, breathing in deeply. She didn't take Lauren right away, she kissed her, breathed hotly against her, and ran her nose over and around her sex. She savored the way Lauren's scent filled her senses, and how Lauren reacted to each tease, the little breathless moans that escaped her, the way her stomach twitched with anticipation.

Lauren parted her legs further for Bo, and pushed her hand into Bo's hair, encouraging her to set whatever pace she wanted. She was ready for Bo but wanted to let Bo take her time, and Bo did, keeping her exploration precise, controlled, and very thorough. It was the kind of sensual torment Lauren knew very well with Bo.

Lauren was so sensitive post orgasm that she called out when Bo finally drove inside her with her tongue, lightly brushing her clit as she did. Her hands fell to the side and her entire body felt like it was melting into the mattress. Over and over again Bo swirled her tongue, eager and questing as she pleasured Lauren with her tongue.

In response to Bo's deep caress within her, Lauren's heart surged and her hips lifted up and then back down against Bo's mouth. "You're so good at that." She gasped, her head tilting back.

Bo curled her tongue around her clit and then broke the connection to gaze up at her. The view of Lauren was pretty spectacular from that angle. The long silky expanse of her thighs, hard, sweaty stomach, the swell of her under breasts. She took a moment to take it all in before she said, "That I do know."

Coming back for more Bo returned to her middle, she lingered, licking her softly. Her hands cupped Lauren's bottom to hold her where she wanted her. Lauren was more than happy to go along for the ride as Bo worked her magic. She rolled her head back and forth on the bed and wrapped her legs around Bo, her heels digging into Bo's back. She started to moan with each exhale, quietly at first and then louder and more uncontrolled, as with each swipe of Bo's tongue inside her she ceased to care about anything beyond that feeling.

Encouraged by the low, throaty sounds coming from Lauren, Bo slipped one finger between her folds. When Lauren panted her request for more, she added a second finger, moving inside her, as she lapped and swirled around her clit.

Soon, Bo zeroed in on exactly where Lauren wanted her, she sucked and buried her fingers deeply.

Lauren started to clench everywhere, when Bo hit the spot that sent her soaring and scrambled her thoughts. Bo kept up until Lauren called out as the sensations coiled down tight and then released. The feelings were so overpowering Lauren could barely breathe.

As Bo kissed her way back up her front, Lauren caught her breath. Framing her hands on the sides of Bo's face, she encouraged Bo toward her lips. Lauren kissed her, tasting herself, and Bo groaned into her mouth.

"Sorry," Lauren said, breathing hotly into Bo's mouth.

Bo pulled back to study Lauren's face. It was sweaty and flushed from her orgasms, and Bo loved that look. She smiled inwardly that she had given her that look of complete satisfaction. "For what?" She brushed the damp hair off Lauren's face.

"You didn't come."

"You can get me next time." Bo winked and fell back against the pillow.

As Lauren's body hummed with rippling aftershocks, she pressed her lips to Bo's shoulder. "I love it when a hypothesis comes to fruition."

That drew a short chuckle from Bo. "Meaning?"

"Sex being the cure for my insomnia."

Bo dragged in another laugh, rolling onto her side. "Oh, so I'm nothing more than a test subject for you?"

Lauren smirked at her and shoved into her body playfully. "Yep, and you exceeded all my expectations." She joked back.

Bo watched as Lauren's eyes started to flutter closed. She gently stroked her hair to soothe her, and quickly, Lauren's breathing evened out until she drifted off to sleep in Bo's arms.

Bo held on to Lauren tight, silently pledging to do everything in her power to protect the love of her life and Kenzi from whoever would do them harm.

 **XXXXX**

 **AN**

 **Again, there will be no cheating in this fic. Don't worry about Evony. I gave a little hint this chapter that maybe her interest in Lauren is more than just her being a creeper. We'll find out soon. I don't like giving away plot points but I don't want anyone getting annoyed thinking an affair will happen in this story.**

 **Thanks for reading and reviewing.**


	10. Chapter 10

Bo sat perched on the edge of her chair. Too much tension ran through her body for her to sit down properly. Hesitant yet determined, her eyes skimmed the FBI case file. After a long delay, it had finally arrived in her inbox that morning. The portion of the file that they had sent, which wasn't sealed, was thin, and what she did have was surrounded by a whole lot of blacked-out bits. The details were scarce. Much of the information seemed to be swept under the "classified" rug. When she'd finished reading the first few pages, she switched to read over the interviews originally done by the FBI agent in charge.

According to Rainer's statement, he and Harvey had arrived back to the estate after a dinner meeting. They were alone because Harvey had released his security guard after the dinner, and Rainer had driven, so no driver was with them. When the agent pressed Rainer on this point, Rainer maintained this wasn't unusual for Harvey. He often let his staff off early to be with their families.

Bo rolled her eyes that he was so arrogant to think he didn't need protection. She didn't remember her father being so reckless. But then, had she ever really known him at all?

"What the hell were you thinking?" Bo grumbled out loud, addressing the man who was not there, who could never answer for himself again.

As she read, she began opening her desk drawers, rifling through them. She was searching for a much-needed bottle of aspirin. Exasperation began to chip away at her mood as her eyes darted over the file. Rainer claimed he was with Harvey inside the limo until Harvey received an email. He told Rainer to wait in the house for him to finish his work, which he did.

Odd, wasn't it. That Harvey stayed in the vehicle and didn't go to his study to work. Why? Maybe Rainer was lying about everything. Something in her gut said yes, there was more to the story then what Rainer had told the FBI. She struggled to rein in her impatience and kept reading, while one hand searched in vain for the bottle of aspirin.

According to the interview, he waited two hours before checking on Harvey, and that's when he discovered the body. He promptly called the police, and the phone records confirmed his statement.

She gave up her search for the aspirin as she flipped through the sparse file. The interviews from the staff told her nothing new. They hadn't seen or heard anything that night. The security guard's statements backed up Rainer's account. A detailed description of the security camera footage, which the FBI had taken, and didn't send to her, also confirmed Rainer's story. No one was seen entering or leaving the limo outside of Rainer, and the time-stamps matched his statements.

So, basically, she had nothing new. She hadn't learned anything from the file that she didn't already know. That deflated Bo, and her entire body sagged. Had she been naïve enough to think the smoking gun would be right in the file, waiting for her to find it? Maybe. Or maybe she'd just been hopeful for something, anything, new.

Biting off a curse, she slammed the file closed and locked it in her desk drawer. She didn't know what to believe. She wished she could interview Rainer herself. During the questioning of a suspect, Bo could always learn more based off body language than the words spoken. If he had been lying in his statement, she would have known had she been present during the interrogation.

"Just another banner day for Bo Dennis," she muttered to herself, rage beginning to set in and take a firm hold.

She leaned back in her chair, rocking slightly, thinking. It was as if all the energy had been sucked out of her. She felt pretty hopeless about being able to find anything worthwhile. At that point, she wanted to throw her hands up and walk away from the whole damned thing. But she knew she couldn't do that.

Dejected, she glanced at the clock on her computer and frowned. It was nearly eight thirty, and she hadn't heard from Lauren. Lauren was at work that morning, and Bo was anxious about having her out in public, on edge about the stalker watching her.

Suddenly uneasy that she hadn't heard from Lauren, she reached for her phone and called her wife immediately.

The phone rang and rang. Just when Bo was about to bolt out of her office to find Lauren, finally she picked up on the seventh ring, "Hey, sorry. I was changing, and couldn't reach my phone." Lauren said, sounding breathless.

Bo grew calmer, filled with relief at the sound of Lauren's voice. "Yum, that put an incredibly sexy visual into my mind."

Lauren's delicate laughter brought a smile to Bo's face.

"You're crazy."

The smile on Bo's face grew broader. "About you." She quipped back, thankful for a little banter with her wife to break up the tension of her day. "Maybe I've never mentioned it, but I'm enamored with you too damned much for my own good."

"Careful, Detective, I'm married, and my wife is the jealous sort."

Bo snorted with laughter. She knew she could act like an idiot when her jealousy flared, and that it annoyed Lauren, but she was happy that she could tease her about it.

Bo took her cue from the tone of Lauren's voice and joked back. "Duly noted. I guess I'll stop before I get myself into a shit ton of trouble." Her light mood changed in an instant. Her stomach twisted, and her earlier sense of calm dissolved. "Would you have stayed home today if I had asked you?"

"Would you have stayed home if I had asked YOU?"

Bo felt herself clenching as Lauren threw back her question. "Yes," She said with a long, frustrated sigh, Lauren's point clear. "But you'd never ask me to."

Lauren's response was immediate and without hesitation. "No, I wouldn't."

Bo ran her hand across her face slowly. "I walked right into that didn't I?"

"Yep," Lauren said, chuckling.

There was a long pause in the conversation, and Bo heard Lauren moving around on the other end. "Are you okay?" Lauren asked softly at last.

Bo caught herself holding her breath as she answered, "I'll be a lot better when you get home safely tonight."

"Try not to worry. This place is crawling with cameras, and there's a security guard posted at the front desk. Plus, I have your little panic button thingy right in my pocket."

"That makes me feel a little better I guess. But if I had it my way you'd be locked up securely somewhere until this freak is stopped." She tried to keep her voice casual, but there was an underlying thread of worry in her tone.

"I'm okay. And I'll continue to be okay." There was a short pause on Lauren's end. "Focus on your work and on your day, and I'll be waiting for you when you get home tonight."

"Promise."

"I promise." Lauren's voice was soft and comforting, like a comfy blanket, and Bo felt herself relaxing again.

"Good because you're my favorite wife like ever." Bo teased, shifting the conversation back to the playful banter.

"News flash, I'm the only wife you'll ever have." Lauren shot back, sounding flirty and lighthearted again.

Bo's mouth curved in a smile she wished Lauren could see. "Sounds perfect to me."

Mark knocked on her door with a file in hand, and with a half eaten donut hanging out of his mouth. Annoyed at the interruption, she held the phone away from her mouth. "What?"

Mark answered by holding the file up for Bo to see. "It's about our case."

Curious about that, Bo brought the phone back down. "I gotta go, babe."

"Be safe out there, Bo. More so than usual, okay?"

Rather than saying one of her usual replies, Bo said. "You too." She glanced up to find Mark staring at her with a silly grin and a dollop of cream clinging to his lower lip. "I'll see you tonight. Don't wear yourself out at work. That's my job."

"Looking forward to it."

Smiling, Bo clicked off the phone and addressed Mark. "What do you have for me?"

Mark stuffed the rest of the donut into his mouth. "I did some checking last night," he said, his voice muffled by dough and cream. "And it looks like our primary suspect's alibi fell through." He answered rather proudly with himself. He waited for a beat as if to build up the suspense, before telling Bo, "I've got a signed statement from him that he wasn't with the suspect at the time of the murder."

That was some much needed good news. Bo leaped out of her chair, strapped on her weapon, and shoved her badge and notebook into her back pocket. "I'm impressed. You might be a dunderhead, but I could hug you right now." She gestured for him to head out of her office.

Mark made barfing noises as he followed Bo out of her office. "Please don't."

Bo couldn't help but feel proud of her rookie for stepping up and getting what they needed on his own. Maybe he wasn't the hopeless case she had thought him to be.

"Let's go pick him up for a little chat and you can fill me in on the details while I drive." She said after shutting and locking her office door. "We might actually solve this case. You did good work, rookie."

Beaming at the unexpected praise from Bo, Mark jogged to keep up with her pace. "Does that mean I can drive?" He asked, in a childlike voice.

Bo spared Mark an amused glance and then patted his shoulder. "No."

XXXXX

Bo arrived home a little later than she had planned. They had arrested their suspect, and it had taken hours to get a full confession out of him. But she had, with a little help from Mark. The turn in her case had given her a much-needed boost of confidence, and she was ready to dig deeper into her father's case. One thing, Bo had learned over the years was to look beyond the obvious when investigating a murder. Rainer was too obvious; that's why her focus had shifted to Clayton Reed.

Removing the holster that held her service weapon, she put it on the table next to her badge and cuffs. Typically, she would secure her weapon in her safe as soon as she got home, but she wanted it close with the stalker still out there.

Over a quick dinner she filled Lauren in on her day, and they got to work researching the Reeds. The first rule of combat was to know the enemy, and Bo wanted to learn as much about them as she could before the charity event.

Next to the kitchen table, Bo had sat up a whiteboard. She stood in front of it and used a dry-erase marker to establish an outline of everything she had gathered about each of the Reeds. She used a magnet to place a photo of the Reed family in the middle of the board. She knew from experience that if she kept going over the facts, she already had, and if she kept digging for more information she'd eventually see things in a different light. Something would click. And having a second set of eyes for research would help her examine each piece of information from a different angle. And fortunately, she had Lauren for that.

"I know more about Doug Reed than I care to, but what do we know about the other Reed siblings?" Bo asked Lauren, who sat at the kitchen table with her laptop open.

Lauren flipped through the background information Bo had printed out, which was in a file next to her. "Doug's the oldest. He has a younger brother, Aldon, who is married with three kids. They live in Chicago. His younger sister, Paris, worked for the family business for years."

While Bo scribbled notes on the board, Lauren focused on her computer. She began with the most basic tool available, an Internet search. She searched for the younger brother, Aldon first. Most of the references to him were connected to his brother's murder trial. As she looked through the articles about him online, it seemed that he retreated mostly to the background, kept a low profile. Contrasted with his brother, Doug, who was in the spotlight often because of his crimes. From what she could gather, Aldon was a devoted family man, and wasn't involved with any of his family's businesses. Periodically, she called out a few details, which Bo wrote down on the board.

When Lauren read through everything she could find about Aldon, which wasn't much, she switched over to Paris. Through her search, Lauren discovered that Paris did internships at her father's company all through college, learned his business from the ground up. A protégé of sorts.

As Lauren kept browsing, her search on Paris led to an old article announcing her graduation from high school. She opened the link to the article. "Check this out." She spun the computer around so Bo could view it.

Bo moved to where Lauren sat and leaned down to look at the screen. Her jaw all but dropped. "Is this for real?" She whispered, studying a photo of a much younger Rainer, with his arm around a girl. She was smiling in a cap and gown, graduating from high school. They stood together gazing out at the world, happy, almost victorious. She felt a long, slow chill run down her spine the longer she looked at the photo. "Is that Clayton's daughter?" She asked, her eyes dancing over the screen.

Lauren spun the computer back around and enlarged the image. "Yes, Paris Reed. The youngest."

Bo found that revelation curious, to say the least. "Weird. I wonder if they dated." She mused out loud. "They look pretty cozy together. Did they attend the same high school?"

Lauren flipped through Bo's information on Rainer. "No. Doesn't look like it." She said, and then turned back to her computer.

Bo paced away from her and started squeezing a stress ball, needing to move, to release the energy that was building up inside her. She loved that buzz that came with knowing she was on to something. This new connection between her suspects was a significant development. The only thing that had marred her excitement were the threats hanging over Lauren and Kenzi. She figured she had two options. She could walk away and forget everything. Or she could go full steam ahead and solve this mystery. In the end, she knew she couldn't just walk away without answers.

"I've got a good feeling about this. This is the clue I've been waiting for." Bo glanced at Lauren and took another lap of the kitchen, nervous excitement bubbling in her stomach as she tried to put the puzzle pieces together. "My research on Rainer revealed him to be kind of a loner, not really close to anyone that I could locate. There's no mention of a connection with the Reeds anywhere that I looked." She said, summarizing what she'd learned before, both for herself and Lauren.

"His name isn't listed in the article only Paris, and the Reed name. It made the local news because Clayton had just opened up a new store in that town." Lauren explained as she finished reading the article. She turned her thoughtful gaze from the computer to Bo. "This article is fifteen years old, and they could have lost touch in the later years. In life, friends or lovers come together and then drift apart. It's normal."

"It's possible. I don't keep in touch with any friends from high school." Working a hunch, Bo said, "So try out this theory. Rainer and Paris reconnected at some point. And then the Reeds used Rainer to pass political secrets to them since Clayton was planning on running against my father for his Senate seat. In a fair race, Clayton had no chance to win against Harvey; that's a fact."

"Why kill your father, though?" Lauren asked, not used to having to try and get inside the mind of killers. Honestly, it was all a little upsetting for her to have to think about.

Bo had been asking herself the same thing. It amazed her how in tune they could be sometimes. She continued to pace, unable to contain the energy coursing through her. She tried to think the whole thing through as a detective rather than a daughter. "That I don't know yet," She said, squeezing her stress ball a few times. Her mind raced as she fleshed out her theory, trying to make all the pieces fit. "Perhaps my father was on to them. We found that article pretty easily, so my father's people could have found it as well. My guess would be that Harvey confronted Rainer about knowing Paris and they killed him to cover their tracks."

"Do you think Rainer and Paris were working alone?" Lauren questioned, trying to follow Bo's line of thinking.

Bo turned that over in her head. "I don't know for sure. I can't figure out if Rainer had been the brains behind everything, or just a puppet, taking orders from another person. Rainer was the last person to see my father alive, and it's possible that Clayton could have ordered Rainer to take my father out. The way I see it, we're just covering all the possible bases by investigating the Clayton angle." One more unexplained factor was the missing money. She still had no idea how that detail fit in with her theory. She pondered that maybe Clayton had Rainer steal the money to distract Harvey from the upcoming re-election. The missing money might have sparked Harvey's suspicions about his staff, which led him to Rainer. But, again, she had no proof of anything it was all just guesswork at that point. The only thing she knew for sure was that Rainer had known Clayton's daughter 15 years before, and that was an important detail. She turned to Lauren and aired her thoughts out loud.

As Lauren processed what Bo had said, she let out a huge yawn. The long day finally caught up with her. "What now?"

"Print out the picture, and send me that article."

Lauren obliged by clicking the print screen and then emailing the article to Bo.

"That's the piece of evidence I need to rattle Clayton. Maybe I'll get lucky, and he'll sing like a canary when I confront him at the event this weekend."

Lauren was torn between wanting to be supportive and being fearful of what would happen at the charity event. She knew Bo knew what she was doing, but even the most careful plans couldn't account for all possible variables. For a moment, her imagination kicked into overdrive, spinning with disturbing thoughts of what the outcome could be. She shivered when she pictured Bo hurt, and her being powerless to help her. Determined to stop thinking about bad hypothetical scenarios, she shook off those troubling thoughts and asked, "Do you really expect him to?" She hoped she kept the uneasiness from her voice.

Bo was too distracted at that moment to pick up on Lauren's tension. "No. But if Clayton orchestrated this whole thing, I want to nail his ass to the wall." She stood in front of her board looking it over. She drew a large circle around Paris' name a few times, and then linked it to Rainer's name and circled it. It was all so simple in front of her, but until she proved that Rainer was still in contact with the Reeds, everything was still just speculation.

Bo heard Lauren yawn behind her, and she suddenly became aware of the late hour. She spun away from her board and crossed the room to Lauren. "Thank you for working on this with me. I know you have a lot of your own stuff going on right now…"

Lauren cut her off with a wave of her hand and said. "Your stuff is my stuff."

"Still I want you to know I appreciate you. I've missed having Dyson as a partner, and you've helped me a lot. You're a great partner."

Lauren countered that with a shrug. "I don't know if I've done all that much."

Bo took Lauren's hand, pulling her out of her chair with a gentle tug. "No, you have." The smile on her lips was warm and encouraging. "You know if things don't work out for you with this doctor thing, you might have a promising future as a detective."

Lauren laughed and pressed her lips to Bo's cheek. "No way. You have a miserable job; it's way too gruesome and upsetting for me."

Bo slid an arm around Lauren's waist, cradling her against her as if she was the most precious thing in the world. And to Bo she was. "You're a doctor, you've seen lots of bad stuff."

"That's different," Lauren said, placing her head on Bo's shoulder. It felt good. Very good, so she closed her eyes. She loved the feel of her body against Bo's. It lulled the restlessness that had been building inside her.

"I know," Bo whispered, trailing a finger down the center of Lauren's back, the light caress tracing the valley of her spine.

Lauren fitted her nose in the hollow of Bo's throat. "Don't let go of me just yet." She whispered, content to simply wallow there, in the scent and the feel of Bo.

Bo had to smirk. "I won't." She answered, not moving a muscle.

"I love my wife." Lauren breathed after an extended period of silence.

"You are exactly perfect for me, and I love you too."

"That works out very well because you're exactly perfect for me as well," Lauren said, shifting her cheek from Bo's shoulder, she tilted her head to look at Bo.

Staring into Lauren's eyes, Bo kissed Lauren for that response. Then she pulled back, keeping her eyes locked on Lauren's.

"I've had enough of this day. Let's go to bed." Lauren's eyes dipped down to look intently at Bo's lips. "We've got another long day ahead of us tomorrow."

A seductive grin lit up Bo's gorgeous face, and she lightly tapped Lauren's bottom. "Yes, dear. Whatever you want. I'll join you in a few minutes."

Stepping out of Bo's embrace, Lauren shot Bo a knowing look. She smiled and then turned on her heel and retreated. Bo watched her, waited until she'd disappeared. She looked over her board once more, and then she clicked on her phone, opening the security app. Satisfied that there was no danger lurking around the house, she grabbed her gun and headed to the bedroom.

XXXXXX

The next day, the morning rush hour was over, so traffic was reasonably light and Bo made good time. She drove to the storefront, which served as Clayton Reed's local campaign office, where Paris Reed worked. She had read every word she could find about the Reed children but hadn't found any other bombshells, so she was going with the only lead she had.

Bo pushed open the door and marched in like she owned the place. She encountered a young man working the reception desk. Otherwise, the place was dead quiet. The windows and walls were plastered with Reed signs, slogans, stickers and other campaign paraphernalia. She tried not to gag looking at them.

"May I help you?"

Bo flashed her badge. "Detective Dennis. I'm looking for Paris Reed."

He took a long, measuring look at the badge as his Adam's apple bobbed in his throat. "Dennis?" He muttered, apparently realizing who Bo was. "May I ask what this is in reference to?"

"Of course not. Is she here?"

"Not at the moment."

Bo slipped her badge back into her pocket and summoned her best interrogation voice. "Where is she?"

"She…I…" His breathing grew noticeably more shallow and faster as he said, "I'm not at liberty to say."

He was nervous. Bo deduced that very quickly. She decided to play against those nerves to get what she wanted. "I love that answer. It's always my favorite." She said, leaning on the raised counter that hid his workspace from public view. "I need some information. If you help me out, we're square. If you don't…" She paused for effect, her eyes boring into him. "You might have a problem. I might start coming around more often. Asking more questions. Taking up a lot of your time in the process."

He looked utterly stunned as he gaped at her without speaking.

Bo looked at him more closely. "What's your name?" She asked, keeping her voice mild as if they were just having a friendly conversation.

Suspicion deepened on his face, but he answered her question. "Mark."

Bo slapped her hand on the counter, startling the young man. "Well hot damn, that's my partner's name. Isn't that funny?"

"Not really, it's a common name," He muttered, clearly taken aback by Bo's reaction.

Pleased that she had him rattled, Bo tapped her fingers against her lips as she scrutinized him. Finally, she said, "Look, Mark, I need some information, and you are preventing me from doing my job. I have a real problem with that." Her eyes never wavered from him as she spoke. "You don't want to get on a detective's bad side, do you?"

His complexion visibly drained of all color. "What do you want? I'll get fired if I give out any information."

Determined to get this young man to come around, Bo tried a different approach. "First and foremost, I'd like to know who works closes with Mr. Reed?"

Seemingly startled by the question, he shot her a long look. "His family, mainly his daughter, Paris."

Bo made a notation in the notebook she'd pulled from the back pocket of her pants. "What's her role in her father's campaign?"

"She's like a senior adviser. But basically, she's like the boss of the staff. My boss…"

Bo was relieved she was finally getting answers from him. Taking a chance, she produced a photo of Rainer from her jacket pocket and showed it to him. "Have you ever seen this man?"

Upon seeing Rainer, he got restless and shifted in his seat. "What's this all about?"

"Just answer the question." Bo insisted in an authoritative tone.

With his jaw set in a stubborn expression, he answered vaguely. "On TV next to the late Harvey Dennis."

"Nice try, anywhere else?" Bo pressed, forcibly. She engaged in a staring contest with him, which she won when he glanced away.

"I might have seen him…" He seemed in danger of swallowing his own tongue. He glanced nervously around and then continued. "I was working late one night, and I don't think they knew I was here….He came through the back and went into Paris' office."

That was something new, and important. Bo could feel herself getting hopeful. She was finally onto something real in her investigation. Casually, she dipped her head and made a notation on her notepad. "When was this?"

Mark number two was silent for a long moment. It was evident he was trying to remember, or perhaps stalling for time. "Three or four months ago. I don't know the exact date."

Bo stared at her worn notepad, and was quiet for a minute, as she mulled over where to steer the questioning. "Did you get the sense that the meeting was more personal or professional?" She asked, deciding on a direction.

Mark shrugged his shoulders with clear frustration. "I have no idea."

Bo pushed down a new wave of impatience. "Care to guess?"

He was quiet for a moment, and his eyes lost focus as he thought about it. "Both would be my guess. They seemed friendly."

The next moment, Bo looked around the storefront. When her eyes landed on a small camera, she pointed to it. "I want the video from that camera."

"You need a warrant." He challenged, puffing out his chest.

Bo congratulated herself on not laughing in his face at his cocky display. Though he was right, she did need a warrant, which she doubted she would get.

His bravado faded, and he ran a trembling hand through his hair, he vibrated with nerves. "Is Paris in some kind of trouble?"

Bo decided to approach it differently. "I'm not sure. Tell me where I might find her." She said, slipping into her friendliest tone to put him at ease.

He pursed his lips as if he was trying to decide how much he wanted to say. "She's out of town on business for the campaign."

Bo's eyes pinned him, but she relaxed her posture against the counter. "When will she be back?"

"She's due back next week." He said begrudgingly.

"All right, Mark. That's all for now." She shoved her notepad back into her back pocket. "I'll be in touch." Armed with the new vital piece of information she needed, she headed for the door. "Thanks for the help. I'll be back for that video." She turned back at the door to find the young man holding a phone to his ear.

She placed her hands on her hips, making sure her gun was visible. She lifted her head to project an air of absolute confidence and authority and said. "If you tell anyone I was here. I'll be back to arrest you."

His eyes bugged and quickly dropped the phone.

Satisfied that he'd taken her threat seriously, she pushed the door open and walked out.

XXXXX

Thrilled to have a new piece of information and longing to see Lauren, Bo parked in one of the guest spaces and made her way into the clinic Lauren worked at. Inside, a young woman was sitting at the front desk staring at her cell while sucking down a smoothie.

Bo waited impatiently for Fiona, at least that was what her nametag said, to finish her text. Only Fiona must have been involved in some riveting conversation because she never looked up and her fingers never once left her phone.

"Excuse me," Bo finally said, going for friendly instead of irritated like she felt.

Fiona's fingers paused on the screen, and her eyes darted up. "Good morning." She smiled and set her phone to the side. "I'm sorry I didn't hear you come in. Can I help you?"

"Is Lauren available?" Bo asked as she took a good look around the area, noting the security guard posted off to the side.

"Do you have an appointment?" Fiona asked, pushing the sign in sheet toward Bo.

Bo chuckled at that as she brought her attention back to the young woman. "I don't think I need one. I'm Bo." She placed the cups she was holding on the desk and waited expectantly.

Fiona stared at Bo in question for a long moment, apparently not recognizing her name, so Bo added. "Lauren's wife. Bo."

Fiona's eyes went wide with understanding. "Oh, I'm sorry." She shifted in her chair and pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose.

"No need to be sorry." Bo pulled out her badge to prove her identity. "I just need a few minutes of her time."

Fiona cleared her throat, appearing uncomfortable for reasons Bo couldn't explain.

"She's not with a patient at the moment. I believe she's in her office. But be prepared. The grant committee meeting is approaching, and she's freaking out about it."

Bo noted Fiona had a wistful expression and tiny grin as she spoke about Lauren. She didn't like it.

"I can handle Lauren, thanks," Bo snapped with a slight peeved tone because this woman felt she needed to give her a warning about her own wife. Or maybe she was just irritated because she suspected this young woman had a crush on her wife. But then again it was possible that she was just overreacting to a simple friendly warning.

A blush crept up Fiona's face, and she directed Bo to Lauren's office. After a short walk down the hall, she found Lauren's door open. She peeked in, and Lauren was typing quickly and staring at her computer monitor wearing her expression of intense concentration.

For a second, she watched Lauren without her noticing her. She hovered in the doorway, waiting for the opportunity to interrupt Lauren. It didn't take long. With a few frustrated breaths, she pulled back from the keyboard, then leaned back, her brows drawn down in a frown. Seeing her chance, Bo tapped her knuckles lightly on the door.

Lauren jerked her head to the side to face Bo. At first, she looked surprised to see Bo, and then her frown melted into a smile meant just for her. Bo's stomach fluttered at that private smile, as it so often did. Just a glance, just a smile from Lauren, and her system went jumpy.

Lauren pushed back from her desk. "Hey there. What a lovely surprise."

Bo stepped into the small office and extended her arm, offering Lauren the extra cup of coffee she'd brought. "Hope I'm not interrupting. I was close by and wanted to see you."

Lauren took the cup and pulled a chair out for Bo to sit in. "You mean check up on me."

Bo shot her a sly grin. "That too, my love. That too."

Expecting that reply, Lauren grinned. She held the coffee under her nose for a second to inhale the pleasurable aroma. Taking a sip, she closed her eyes in appreciation and groaned aloud. "Thanks for this."

That sound caused a few lustful thoughts to flash through Bo's mind. Her eyes dropped to Lauren's lips and lingered. "Are you enjoying that?"

"Immensely." Lauren exhaled. She dampened her lips with a teasing swipe of her tongue. "It's like a love affair for my palate."

Bo couldn't help but smirk at that description. "Tease." She sat in the chair and shifted to find a comfortable position. "You know precisely how to get me all hot and bothered." She leaned forward and in a whisper said, "Wanna lock that door and have a little fun?" She wiggled her brows for emphasis.

Lauren let out an amplified sigh. "You only want me for my body."

Bo's brows rose with amusement, and she gave in to Lauren's silliness. "Totally. Now take off your shirt, and let me look at you."

Lauren closed the distance between them and placed a quick kiss on Bo's lips. "There's simply no hope for you, you know that?"

"Yes, I know that," Bo said with a puff of laughter. "Not when it comes to you."

Lauren sat back in her chair and focused on her coffee, while Bo's eyes stayed on Lauren. The room fell silent as they both retreated to their own thoughts. Bo could tell just by looking at Lauren that something was wrong. The way she kept glancing at her computer told Bo she was stewing about something.

Bo studied Lauren a moment more, her expression morphing into a serious expression. "What are you working on?" She asked, nodding her head to Lauren's computer. She was still chewing on the bombshell about Rainer meeting with Paris. But her current state of unrest didn't prevent her from wanting to know what was troubling her wife.

"Things are a bit of a mess for me. I'm trying to get everything in order before my meeting with the foundation about the grant money I need. But it's difficult because these foundations are more reluctant to give grants out to smaller research labs…" Lauren trailed off, lost in thoughts over the potential for success or failure. She smiled faintly at herself, but Bo could see the anxiety in her eyes. "Anyway, everything has to be in order because the procurement of grant money is very competitive."

Bo could tell Lauren was overwhelmed. Her deep brown eyes went warm with sympathy. "I'm sure it will all work out. What can I do to help?"

Lauren caressed Bo's hand, her fingers moving lightly over Bo's skin. "I only need you."

With her finger, Bo tipped Lauren's face up and laid her lips on her in a soft, sweet kiss. She was grinning when she drew back. "Well, you have me, babe. I'm all yours."

While Lauren sipped her coffee, Bo rolled her shoulders, as if shrugging off a weight.

"How's your morning so far? Did something happen?" Lauren asked, leaning forward in concern.

"I found out Rainer and Paris had a secret meeting a few months ago. It happened at Clayton's campaign office." Bo tried to keep the enthusiasm from her voice, not wanting to sound too eager, because there was still so much to be figured out before the whole thing was over.

"That's interesting." Lauren's tone was encouraging, hopeful even.

Bo felt warm inside, Lauren's support filling her with a deep comfort. "For sure. But the higher ups won't give me a warrant for the footage from the security camera without probable cause."

Lauren nodded, not knowing what to say. She didn't envy Bo's job; it seemed like a lot of ropes to jump through to get answers. She understood why those rules were in place, but also understood the frustration that must go along with it.

"These things take time. But the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced this is all connected to my father's death. But I can't go around thinking I have everything figured out, or I'll run the risk of missing something important."

Lauren said nothing, but she silently agreed with Bo.

"Is the dinner party at Dyson's still on?" Bo asked out of the blue. She and Dyson hadn't crossed paths since their argument, and she was eager to talk with him and smooth things out.

Bo was trying to change the subject and Lauren let her, grateful to move to lighter topics. "Hope so. I feel like we never get to see any of our friends lately."

"I know what you mean." Bo frowned as she checked her watch. "Time to get back to work." Sighing, she got up. "Remember, I'm here if you need me. I'm never too busy for you."

Lauren stood up to hug Bo. "I'm glad you stopped by."

"Me too," Bo said, brushing a kiss over her forehead. "I'm going to have a quick conversation with that guard before I go to make sure he's keeping a good eye on you."

Lauren gave Bo another squeeze and then released her.

After a quick kiss goodbye, Bo spun around to leave. She stepped outside the office, stopping on the threshold to glance over her shoulder at Lauren. "Were you checking out my ass?"

Lauren's gaze dropped to Bo's backside, cupped so perfectly by her tight pants. "Uh-huh." She laughed as she collapsed back into the chair at her desk. "Miss me." She called out before Bo left the office.

"Every second." Bo promised, blowing Lauren a kiss before she vanished around the corner.

 **XXXXXX**

 **AN**

 **Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	11. Chapter 11

To Lauren's surprise, dinner at Dyson's house with their friends and family was lovely and relaxing. The investigation and threats were taking a toll, and they needed the down time, and the warm, delicious food and company hit the right spot. She suspected they were all keeping the topics light to mask the underlying tension that surrounded them all. They all laughed and made the kind of easy small talk they used to do so freely. Thankfully, the dinner lifted the gloomy mood lingering around them, allowing them to thoroughly enjoy the evening.

Dinner was over, and Hale's cell started ringing. He answered it quickly, and then excused himself to talk privately outside.

As Hale left the table, Tamsin stretched out, rubbing her stomach. "That was some good eats. Thanks, guys."

"Does your lover cook for you?" Dyson asked to tease Tamsin, who choked on her tongue at the mention of Evony as her lover.

"We usually go out for food." Tamsin said before staring at her hands, which had suddenly become very fascinating.

"And why isn't Evony joining us tonight? Too good to hang out with your friends?" Dyson said, not trying to hide his amusement at Tamsin's expense.

Lauren's ears perked up at the mention of Evony, and she glanced at Tamsin. She still didn't approve of her relationship with Evony, but she had already said her piece on the matter, and that's all she could do. She needed to leave Tamsin alone and let her live her own life.

Tamsin blinked once, slowly, then glared at Dyson. "I didn't invite her. We're not dating."

Undaunted, Dyson barked with laughter as he said, "Keep telling yourself that."

Tamsin almost stuck her tongue out at him, but didn't. Instead, her stare moved over him in irritation.

Lauren gave Dyson an annoyed flick of her wrist on his shoulder. "Leave her alone, Dyson."

Seeing that his friend wasn't in the mood to be teased, Dyson decided to back off. He clapped a hand on Tamsin's shoulder and grinned. He gave her a little affectionate shake. "I'm just razzing ya, partner."

Ciara joined the group with Marshall in her arms. "Tell me a little about yourself, Tamsin. Your Dyson's partner but I don't know much about you."

Tamsin tensed, her eyes widening. She moved them to Lauren, then back to Ciara. "Not much to tell. I'm just Tamsin."

"Where did you go to high school? Around here?" Ciara gave her a kind but prodding smile.

Suddenly, Tamsin felt hot under her shirt, like she was being interrogated. She shook her head stiffly. "Nah, I bounced around a lot. I didn't go to a high school, so much as visited a lot of high schools. Briefly."

Ciara's brow wrinkled, and her eyes moved over Tamsin, carefully assessing her. "That must have been very difficult."

"Not really," Tamsin answered, shrinking down in her chair. She didn't like the pity she could hear in Ciara's tone. All she wanted was to fall into a dark hole and disappear. "It made everything new and exciting. Kept things interesting. I was never really into all the high school stuff, like group activities, sports, popularity contests." She kept her voice nonchalant to disguise the strength of her discomfort.

"I loved all that stuff." Dyson chimed in, with a big smile. "High school was so much fun. So many parties, girls, sports…"

"That's because it was your peak." Lauren cut in, good-naturedly. "You've been chasing your former glory ever since."

Tamsin dipped her head and took the opportunity to relax as the focus got off her.

"Do you remember my date to senior prom?" Dyson asked, directing his question to Lauren.

Lauren nodded. "I forgot her name, but she had the biggest breast I'd ever seen."

Bo laughed, turning to Lauren.

"I mean she was a lovely person. I just remember…" Lauren gestured around her chest. "The breasts for some reason."

Bo's smile deepened, her eyes flashing with amusement. "That's my girl, remembering the important details." She put in teasing her. She planted a kiss on Lauren's cheek and then added. "Boobs."

"And who was your date?" Tamsin asked Lauren, eager to keep the focus off herself. The thought of more questions made her stomach sour. The truth was, she hated talking about herself and her past, but liked hearing about the other's past.

"Oh, my father didn't let me go to prom. He claimed it was because I was younger than everyone else, but….well, I don't think he wanted me to take a girl. He was afraid I might embarrass the family."

"That sucks, sorry Lewis. Your father sounds awful." Tamsin said.

Lauren glanced at Tamsin, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully, and then she shrugged.

"Well, I had a great time at my prom. My date and I were prom king and queen." Ciara said, attempting to get them back on track.

"I'm not surprised," Dyson said with a little grin in Ciara's direction.

Ciara matched Dyson's smile and then swept her eyes to Bo. "What about you. Did you have a hard time in high school?"

"Not at all. I was a cheerleader and the prom queen also."

"YOU were the prom queen?" Tamsin said through a laugh.

"Don't look so shocked. I was very popular."

"Was. The operative word there." Dyson pressed his lips together to keep from laughing at Bo.

"Funny." Bo was smiling when she noticed Kenzi hovering just outside of the group while sipping a glass of water. Leaning over, Bo rubbed her nose against Lauren's cheek and then gave her a fast kiss. "I'm going to go talk to Kenzi."

Lauren's hand sought Bo's knee, and she squeezed it in answer. Bo strode away from the table, and Lauren watched her go.

The conversation didn't continue because Marshall giggled causing all of them to look at the baby in Ciara's arms.

"Do you want to hold him?" Dyson asked Tamsin when he saw her looking at Marshall.

That question made Tamsin nearly jump out of her skin. People that small made her nervous. She could easily see herself dropping the baby or worse. "No. I'm good. I'm fine just looking at him."

"I'll hold him." Lauren volunteered on Dyson's other side.

Ciara eased the baby from her arms into Lauren's waiting embrace. "He's a cutie, he is. And he's definitely grown a little since the last time I saw him." Lauren commented, holding him up so she could look him over.

Lauren started making funny faces at Marshall, trying to get him to laugh. The baby just stared at her, wide-eyed for a long moment, as if completely fascinated by Lauren. Everything at his age was magical. And Lauren almost envied that kind of wonder.

"You're very good with him," Ciara said fondly to Lauren as she sat back down. "He responds to you. You have a good energy that he picks up on."

Lauren smiled self-consciously, not actually believing that as she remembered her time babysitting him. Deep down she didn't know if she was the motherly type, or not. She was leaning toward the latter, but knowing something, in theory, was meaningless without experience in real-life to back it up. And one day of babysitting definitely didn't provide her with enough data to know for sure.

"Don't embarrass her. Lauren gets weird about the baby subject." Dyson cut in, chuckling at his friend. "She gets pissy when I bring it up."

"Not true." Lauren retorted defensively. She adjusted the baby and sat straighter ready to defend herself. "I don't like the outside pressure about it. It's a personal decision between my wife and I."

"Only you would think talking about something equals 'pressure'. I get having a kid is a tremendous amount of change, and you crave…demand structure in your life. I get why it freaks you out."

Lauren looked at him as if he wasn't making any sense. "If there's a point, Dr. Dyson, I'd like you to get to it."

"Control is your comfort zone." Dyson pointed out, with a small smile. "You can't plan your life with a kid around, and you're a planner. Not having a clear idea of what the future holds, stresses you out."

Tamsin scrunched her face, as she followed the conversation. "Don't worry about it, Lewis. It's understandable that you don't want to talk about babies." She blurted out, coming to Lauren's defense. "You're young, be young. It's not wrong if you don't want children, lots of normal people don't."

"I agree. Drop it." Ciara added, speaking to Dyson. "It's none of our business."

Lauren smiled at them and then turned to Dyson. Two unhappy lines appeared between her eyebrows.

"Why are you making that face?" Dyson asked Lauren, giving her the side-eye.

"Because I'm irritated, obviously." Lauren leaned in closer to Dyson, whispering through gritted teeth. "How would you feel if I asked you all the time when you were going to get married?"

Dyson shrugged dismissively. "I wouldn't mind."

Rolling her eyes, Lauren held Marshall against her chest and patted his back. "Yeah, right." She huffed impatiently. "You are exceedingly irksome right now. Why are you spoiling this evening?"

Dyson opened his mouth to retort, but Ciara spoke over him. "Dyson dial it back and stop being such a jerk."

Dyson's eyes got wide as they bounced between the three women glaring at him. "Sorry, ladies."

"We should talk about something else," Tamsin said wanting the group to return to the lighter atmosphere.

"Good idea." Lauren agreed, shooting Dyson one last glare before turning her focus back on the baby.

XXXXX

Kenzi followed Bo's eyes, glancing over her shoulder to find Lauren still holding Marshall. "You want one," Kenzi whispered to make sure they wouldn't be overheard. She had her suspicions about Bo wanting kids, and judging by her sister's longing look, she was more than a little convinced that she was right.

Bo snapped to attention; her eyes had just been naturally drawn to the baby and Lauren without her realizing it. "I want what Lauren wants, and she's not ready. I live to make Lauren happy."

"You didn't answer me," When Bo looked at her confused, she said, "But what about what you want?"

With a shrug, Bo said, "How can you ever know that you're ready for that kind of thing?" She cut her eyes to Lauren. Her Lauren. But her Lauren wasn't looking at her. She was watching Marshall with a big, happy smile on her face, so she didn't notice Bo staring at her again. She found herself smiling because Lauren was smiling.

Kenzi snorted, and her hand went to her stomach, to her bump, and she rubbed circles. "Is anyone ever really ready?"

Bo's smile dropped, falling into a frown as she focused back on Kenzi. "Guess not. But anyway, we can't even think about that right now. There's too much going on. We, as a family, are already dealing with enough trouble, no reason to think about this now."

It was Kenzi's turn to shrug. "You can't stop living, and planning for the future just because of some stalker. If you do, they win. Sometimes life is brutal and unfair, busy and annoying. But there's a lot of good, too. If you go around worrying about the bad stuff, you risk missing out on enjoying all the amazing things."

Bo's eyes automatically went to Lauren again, and her stomach fluttered with a strange longing as Lauren continued playing with the baby. She had never seen anything so heartwarming in her life. Lauren would make such a wonderful mother. She was a nurturer by nature. And the two of them together as parents, she knew, they could create a happy family together. She bit her cheek, waging an internal war with herself. "Yes, I want a family with Lauren. I want a kid or two." She admitted out loud, perhaps for the first time. "One day, when I'm ready to share Lauren with someone else that is." Belatedly, she realized she was still staring at Lauren, and turned back to Kenzi. "But I don't know how to approach her with the subject. She's very adamant that she isn't ready, and I want to respect her wishes to wait to talk about it."

Kenzi studied Bo for a long moment as she stewed in Bo's situation. Finally, she laughed and suggested, "Tie that girl down and make her talk to you. You have a right to have your side heard at least. No matter what you two decide, you need to make sure your feelings are voiced and heard. You can't give her all the say in this. It's not wrong that you want a family, a lot of people do."

"Since I'm turning thirty soon, what if I'm just having a quarter-life crisis. Thinking about babies and a new career…" Bo's frown was subtle as she trailed off, and her eyes grew distant, as she silently debated those weighty matters.

"Are you happy?" Kenzi asked, lowering her voice.

Bo's gaze refocused on Kenzi, and she answered promptly. "Not with that stalker around."

"You know what I meant."

"Yes. Absolutely. I love my life with Lauren. That's why I'm confused about me wanting things to change. Why add another element that might rock our beautiful life?" Those questions echoed over and over in her head. But there was no answer. "I don't like feeling like this."

"And what if Lauren never wants kids? What will you do?"

Bo froze, staring at her sister with immeasurable dismay. What kind of question was that? Deciding Kenzi hadn't meant to insult her, she answered, "Having kids isn't a deal breaker for me. I would be happy with only Lauren forever, but…it's something I would like to discuss with her. I guess I really just want to know what's in her head. Is it a no for now, or a no for forever."

"Then that's what you need to do. Talk to that woman."

Bo bobbed her head, agreeing with Kenzi. "When the time is right, when things settle down to our regular routine, I'll talk with her again."

Lauren could feel eyes on her, and she swiveled her eyes around. "What?" She mouthed, as her gaze instantly met Bo's.

"You're beautiful," Bo called out to Lauren affectionately.

That earned Bo a scarcely disguised grin and a cute little eye roll from Lauren.

At the same time, Hale opened the front door. With his arms extended, he walked purposefully toward Kenzi. "Sorry that took so long. It was an important call."

Kenzi smiled at her husband, and let him gather her into his arms. "I understand."

"We got a partial print off one of the photos, but we couldn't make a definitive ID." Hale filled Bo in, answering her unspoken question.

"Shit. Can't we get even one break?" Bo buried her face in her hands for a long moment. "Did you look over my notes about my father's case?" She asked as she lifted her head back up.

Hale nodded, holding onto Kenzi with one arm. "I know you don't mind coloring outside the lines if it's for the greater good, but you have to be careful. Going to the campaign headquarters wasn't a good idea."

Bo saw the whole situation differently and said. "Sure, but I was able to connect Rainer to the Reeds." Her eyes kept shifting back and forth between Kenzi and Hale. "That's a significant development. I need a warrant. There's video evidence of their meeting."

"Not going to happen. This isn't your case. You need more to get the FBI to reopen the investigation. It's not a crime to have meetings."

Bo pinched her lips, not wanting to argue, but disagreeing silently.

XXXXX

Later the group separated, only Dyson and Lauren remained at the kitchen table. Lauren put her arm around Dyson's shoulder for a brief second and said, "Did you get my email about Bo's birthday? Please tell me you can make it." She said, deliberately keeping her voice upbeat and light.

"We can make it, but Bo's pissed with me at the moment."

Lauren turned in her seat, looking for Bo. She sat in the other room in the midst of an animated conversation with the others. "Can you blame her? She's just looking for support. She wants you to trust her like you used to." She brought her gaze to Dyson to look him in the eye. "Do me a favor and hold off with expressing your doubts for awhile."

Dyson's eyes flashed away from Lauren, and he ground his teeth. "That could do more harm than good. I've seen good cops lose their careers by muddying the difference between personal and professional."

Dyson and Bo were usually on the same wavelength, and Lauren knew something was off between them since their argument. She could feel her protective side being roused to Bo's defense. "You've made your point. But Bo is going to do what she's got to do. We're Bo's people we need to support and help her with this."

"I don't like this," Dyson said, shrinking slightly under Lauren's intense gaze. "I don't like it one bit. You and Kenzi have a big red target painted on your backs, and you expect me to say, 'oh, well,' and sit back to see what happens? I can't do that."

"Nothing will happen to us." Lauren made a broad gesture to the others. "We're quite literally surrounded by cops." She softened her face and pushed his knee with her fingertips. "Just keep an open mind and listen to what Bo has to say."

Dyson's eyes drifted to some spot over Lauren's head and dimmed. "I wish I shared your confidence. But I have a very bad feeling about this whole thing." He gathered a large breath, like he was bracing himself, and pivoted the topic, "You are good with Marshall. Just so you know."

Lauren gave him a look but didn't say anything. Were they circling back to the baby topic again? Why?

"You don't believe me?"

"Being a great parent is one of the most challenging and important things in the world. And I'm glad you're taking it so seriously, but you have to back off and let Bo and I make our own decisions about children. Why are you so invested in me having babies? You never used to be such a meddler."

"I don't meddle," Dyson said with utmost seriousness, but Lauren snort-laughed at him.

"You have so turned into a meddler."

"Your parents are real ugly people, but that doesn't mean you can't be a great parent yourself. If that's what you want. I just worry that your parents nasty and vile behavior and selfishness might cost you the chance of having your own kids."

Lauren gaped at Dyson, shocked by the direction of the conversation. "My decision about children has nothing to do with them." She glared at Dyson with laserlike precision. "I really don't like being analyzed about my relationship with them. But just so you know I'm not ready to make a decision about children, not because my parents never loved me, or because I'm some kind of control freak, I'm simply not ready. Is that really that hard to understand?"

"It'll never be the right time. Something will always be going on."

Lauren continued to eyeball Dyson for a stretch, and Dyson met her annoyed glare with an easy one of his own. "Okay I get it; I'll stop. I won't bring it up again." He said at length.

"Good. If and when I'm ready to make that decision it will be a discussion I will have with Bo and no one else." Lauren stated with conviction, hoping that would finally put the topic to rest.

XXXXXX

Kenzi and Hale didn't stay long after dinner. Kenzi was tired and wanted to go home to rest. They said their goodbyes to everyone and Bo walked them out.

At Hale's car, Bo gave him a hug, and then he got in the car to wait for Kenzi.

Bo leaned on the vehicle with her hip. "Sorry, I haven't been around much. I've been a sucky sister lately. Sometimes, I know I can be a lousy older sister because it seems like everything is always about me, and my stuff."

"And it only took you thirty years to figure that out." Kenzi paired her statement with a knowing grin in Bo's direction.

Not missing a beat, Bo responded. "We both know I'm a little slow sometimes."

"Honestly, Bo it is hard not having you around. With all we've been through and everything we're facing…" Kenzi's eyes went bright with tears. "Damn these out-of-control hormones. I never used to be such a crier." She sucked in a breath to keep from sobbing. "But I feel lonely lately because Hale's at work a lot, and I can't leave the house because of those pictures."

Hearing that, Bo's eyes also filled with tears. Holding down her emotions, she rested a hand on her sister's pregnant belly. She felt guilty that Kenzi felt alone and that work and other things kept her away from her sister so much. "I'll come to your next doctor's appointment, okay? No matter what I'll make it."

Kenzi dashed away tears with the back of her hand. She seemed touched by the offer, and she smiled at Bo. "I'd like that. I mean…Lauren's great and everything, but…."

Bo understood Kenzi's meaning. She wanted her around more, and she knew she needed to make an effort to be a better sister. She swallowed the bubbling bitter regret in the back of her throat. "I'll be there. Just text me the date."

A soft glow lit Kenzi's eyes. "I will." Some of the happiness behind her eyes dissipated and she exhaled. "I still haven't read the journal. I was hoping we could do that together sometime."

Bo glanced away from Kenzi, clenching and unclenching her fists. She wasn't ready to face whatever was in that journal. "We will. When things calm down, I promise we will." She said as she opened the passenger's side door of the car for Kenzi.

"Alright," Kenzi said as she slid slowly into the seat, and shut the door.

Bo stepped back and waved as they drove away. Once they disappeared down the street, she turned and walked back into the house.

XXXXXX

Lauren helped Ciara clean up the kitchen as Bo called the others into the living room. It was a nice, easy, manageable distraction and she was more than happy to help. She didn't have the energy to sit through another heated argument about Bo's investigation.

In the other room, Bo filled Dyson and Tamsin in on what she had learned recently: the broken fingernails, Rainer's connection to the Reed family, and his recent meeting with Paris. A full minute of silence ensued as she made eye contact with both of them waiting for their reaction to the new information.

"So we're operating under the assumption that your father's death and Paris and Rainer's relationship are related?" Tamsin asked, saying the first thing that came to mind.

"How can they not be?" Bo said, sliding her attention to Tamsin. "The timing of Rainer meeting with Clayton's daughter is not coincidental."

Dyson didn't follow how Bo had arrived at that conclusion, so he asked. "Why not?"

Bo felt indignant but kept her voice controlled. "Well, look at the timeline. A few months ago, old friends reconnected, and have a secret meeting. Around the same time, Harvey's money is stolen. And then he dies mysteriously with Rainer as the last person to see him, and then Rainer skips town right after that. It's relevant. Every connection matters. Especially, my father's assistant having a direct link to his bitter political rival."

"Could be that Rainer and Paris were working together. They stole the money, killed Mr. Dennis and fled together." Tamsin offered a notion that had just entered her thoughts. "Like a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde."

"Paris hasn't fled, though. She's still working for her father. I just know that Clayton's the mastermind. I just do. With him having the most to gain with Harvey gone. He was facing certain loss in the election against my father. Maybe he didn't do any of the heavy lifting directly, but he could still be involved. Lots of people can be responsible for what happened."

Dyson still wasn't buying it. "I'm not being negative, just pointing out that even though there's a connection between Rainer and the Reed's, you haven't found anything specific tying any of them to your father's death."

An exasperated sigh escaped Bo before she could hold it back. "That's why I'm confronting Clayton at the charity event. Once I feel him out, I'll get a better idea about his involvement."

"So, are you getting the feeling that Rainer is more likely a victim in this than the perp?" Tamsin asked, wanting to get Bo's thinking completely clear.

"I can't say that with any certainty."

"I'm still trying to picture how all this adds up to murder. Have you considered that your objectivity might be in question with this whole matter?" Bo glared at Dyson as he said that, but he continued. "Let's say, Rainer stole the money. Your father dies naturally, and he uses the opportunity to flee with millions of dollars. More times than not, the simplest explanation is the right explanation."

"That's a theory for sure, but that ignores the threat telling me to back off from investigating the death and Harvey's broken fingernails."

Dyson conceded that point because she was right. "You really think Clayton killed your father just to get him out of the way?"

Dyson was coming around, Bo realized. That giant chip he'd had on his shoulder was disappearing. She inclined her head toward him, giving him a further explanation. "What I do know is that power does bizarre things to people. It can be addicting. Look at Harvey, hiding the truth about my mother's accident for his career. Even he was susceptible to the seduction of power, and he was a far better man than Clayton Reed."

"There's never a dull moment around here," Dyson grumbled, absorbing all the new information.

"We all should have gone into sales or something predictable and boring," Tamsin answered back, jokingly.

Bo's laugh was hollow. "Tell me about it."

That got Dyson's attention. His eyes cut back to Bo. "Do you think you would ever be happy doing something else?"

"I've started to think maybe I could," Bo said, keeping her eyes down as she spoke.

Dyson sat up straighter, his eyes bulged with alarm. "Are you seriously thinking about quitting?"

Bo raised her eyes and darted them around the room. "I'm only thinking about all my options, up to and including a career change."

"What does Lauren say about that?" Dyson asked, gesturing a thumb in Lauren's direction in the kitchen.

"Not to make any big or hasty decisions while I'm grieving."

"That's excellent advice," Dyson said, relieved that Lauren had given Bo sensible advice. "She's a very wise woman. You should listen to her."

Dyson continued to study Bo carefully, and Tamsin asked her. "What would you do if you weren't a cop?"

"I was thinking about maybe opening up a training center that teaches personal protection. Like self-defense classes… Or maybe getting a job at the academy training newbies…."

Dyson and Tamsin gave Bo a weird look, so she clarified herself. "But, I'm not planning on making any hasty decisions. I'm only thinking about the possibility of doing something else, but I'm not acting on it…. yet."

XXXXX

After returning home that evening, Bo stood before the front window, and her eyes wandered up and down the street. Was someone out there right then watching her? Or Lauren? Waiting for their chance. Planning something from the shadows? A chill crept deeper and deeper into her body, which had everything to do with her dark thoughts. She stared at the dim glow of the streetlights, not seeing any signs of anyone.

"I was looking for you," Lauren said, slipping her arms around Bo from behind. "What're you doing?"

Bo startled at Lauren's embrace and then relaxed into it. "Nothing much. Just thinking."

Lauren pressed her lips to Bo's back between her shoulder blades. "About what?"

"That you are an incredible woman."

Lauren chuckled and slouched back against the window ledge to look at Bo. "Yeah, but anything else on your mind?"

Bo took a moment to admire Lauren. Her hair was piled atop her head in a sexy mess, her voice slightly hoarse from laughing so hard during the dinner at Dyson's. She reached for Lauren and pulled her into her arms. She took her mouth in a savoring and leisurely kiss.

Laughing softly against Bo's lips, Lauren stopped her hand before it went under her shirt. Tearing her mouth free, Lauren smiled at her. "Sure you don't want to tell me what's on your mind?"

Bo churned with questions and worries about the upcoming event, which she'd like to share with Lauren. But hesitated. She released Lauren and turned back to the window to stare into the night. Quickly, a scarecrow-thin shadow down the street caught her attention. Zeroing in for a closer look, the shadow took on a vaguely human outline, a silhouette completely cloaked in black. It moved slightly into the streetlight, and she realized someone was watching the house. Without another thought, she ignored her bare feet when she bolted for the door.

Startled, Lauren twisted around in the direction Bo was running. She called out to her as Bo blasted out of the front door. Bo didn't stop; she jumped over the porch rail almost slipping on the damp grass when she came down.

At full speed, she ran down the front lawn in the direction of the figure. As she ran into the street, she was almost hit by a car as it rounded a corner fast.

The blare of the car's horn shocked her, taking her attention off the man for just a moment, but that was all it took.

"Watch out! Crazy broad." The driver yelled out the car window as it sped by.

By the time Bo recovered her bearings, the person was nowhere in sight. She jogged down the street, ignoring the way her bare feet scraped against the concrete, hoping to catch a glimpse of him.

After searching a few minutes, she stopped in the middle of the street. "Shit!" She yelled, pushing her hands through her hair. She hung her head and ran back toward the house.

"What's going on?" Lauren called out from the porch.

"Someone was out there," Bo said, her breath coming out heavy as she tried to catch her breath. "I saw him watching the house."

Hands on her hips, frustration radiating off her, Lauren said, "So you thought it would be a good idea to chase after him without any thought to your own safety?"

Surprised by Lauren's combative tone, Bo walked slowly to where Lauren waited for her. "What else was I supposed to do?"

Lauren's eyes grew enormous. "You're half dressed, unarmed… it's dark…Do you need to be reminded of the value of caution?"

Squirming under the heat of her pissed off wife's glare, Bo shrugged. "All I thought about was getting him."

"And what were you going to do with him once you got him?" Lauren demanded to know, her words loud and irritable.

"Um, I don't know. Maybe kick his ass and arrest him." Bo lifted her voice to match Lauren's volume.

Lauren scowled, and crossed her arms, in a defensive pose. "I'm not joking around here, Bo. What the hell were you thinking?"

"I was thinking I was going to get that asshole and be done with it." Bo grounded out between clenched teeth because she didn't want to holler at Lauren.

"What if he shot at you? You really think you're bulletproof don't you?" Lauren snapped, setting her jaw grimly.

Bo held up one hand as if to physically block that very idea. "No! I don't believe that. I've been shot before, remember?" She pointed out, less than tactfully.

Lauren blew out an impatient breath and retreated a few steps. "The real question is, do you remember that?"

Bo took offense at Lauren's response and what it implied. She kept a tight rein on her voice, on her temper, though it was a battle. "I'm a cop, Lauren. I take care of myself. It's instinct and training. You can't fault me for that. When I see a potential perp, I react."

"And you almost got flattened by a car." Lauren countered. She couldn't put the picture of Bo running into the street out of her mind.

Fuming, they stood there glaring at each other. Raw and vulnerable emotions were left unmasked on each of their expressions.

Bo opened her mouth twice, but her retorts didn't come. A third attempt had her saying, "Excuse me for wanting to get the asshole that's stalking you."

Lauren's jaw was clenched, and her chin rose high, and if Bo hadn't been furious herself, she would have been really turned on by the sight.

Bo threw up her arms, gathered a large amount of air into her lungs, and then bellowed. "I can't believe you're mad that I'm trying to protect you!"

"You're missing the point completely," Lauren said, making an effort to lower her voice. "I can't talk to you when you're like this."

"Like what? I'm being remarkably calm here. You're the one that's pitching a fit about this."

Lauren glared at Bo. Bo glared back. And then they stared some more. They stood, still, as the world moved around them. It was hot but windy, and the trees rustled in the distance. And still, all they did was stare.

Bo was just about to make another comment when Lauren moved her eyes away from hers, and the silence was broken as she said, "Calm? I don't think so."

Bo could tell Lauren had more to say but refrained. Her expression was taut and angry. The situation required neutralizing, but Bo couldn't bring herself to do it. Not at that moment. Lauren's response was pissing her off. "If you think I will ever be the type of woman that will sit back and do nothing while you're in danger. You really don't know who you married."

With that, Bo watched as Lauren turned and stalked back into the house without saying anything else. Her back was rigid and tense, signaling to Bo she was still angry. She stared at the spot where Lauren had stood for a long time, her chest aching with remorse.

Riding the wave of intense frustration, Bo stayed outside. With her body on alert, she checked the security system and did a quick search around the house. It was quiet; no one was in the immediate vicinity. She knew her surveillance camera wouldn't have picked up the shadowy figure. He had been too far away.

As she climbed the steps toward the house, a noise caught her attention. In the distance, she thought she heard the sound of a car pulling away. But that could have just been one of the neighbors going out for the evening. She decided not to go and look for the car because she had no idea what direction the sound had come from.

Steeling herself to face her angry wife, Bo went into the house. Inside, she practically fell down on the sofa. With a clearer head, she wondered if she had been reckless. Had she reacted more as a wife than a trained cop by chasing after that person? She could have called it in, giving them a better chance to nab him. But it was in her nature to act. She couldn't merely test the waters with her toes; she had to jump in headfirst.

When Lauren walked into the room, her face seemed to crumple a bit. "Show me your feet." Lauren asked softly.

Bo lifted her feet to reveal cuts all over the bottom. Lauren cocked her head slightly as she inspected Bo's feet. The cuts were only superficial and didn't look bad. "You should wash them, so you don't get an infection."

Bo nodded her head and followed her wife's instructions without arguing. After she had finished, she picked up her phone and speed-dialed Hale. Despite the late hour, he answered swiftly and alertly. She briefed him on the situation, as she leaned back against the bathroom door.

"Say no more. I'm on it. I'll call it in and get someone posted in your neighborhood."

"Thanks, Hale. Keep my sister safe."

"I will."

XXXXX

Later, Bo and Lauren shared the bathroom sink space, brushing their teeth, arms moving in matching, jerking motions, both of them avoided the mirror and instead glared at the sink.

Bo finished first, walked into the bedroom, stripped down to her bra and underwear and slid between the cool sheets.

A minute later the bathroom light went out, and she watched, through the moonlight as Lauren walked around to the other side of the bed. Bo wanted to reach for her but stopped herself.

Lauren climbed in, staying as far away from Bo as she possibly could without tumbling out of the bed. She hated when Lauren did that, shut her out like that.

Bo stared at the ceiling, one arm slung above her head, listening to Lauren's breathing. She wanted to hold Lauren. Her body twitched with the urge to pull her close, to feel her, warm against her. Despite the lingering tension between them she loved Lauren so much. It was always a constant, living, breathing thing inside her.

The bedroom was silent. Still. Sometimes, being quiet could be louder than shouting. And that was something Lauren was very practiced at, the loaded silence. Bo's desire to break the tension grew and grew until she could contain it no longer.

"Lauren…" Bo's voice came out not quite a whisper, not quite a breath. She rolled toward Lauren, caught her around the waist and pulled her back against her, spooning behind her.

Lauren sighed softly at the heat of Bo's body and shivered as it battled the chill in her bones. The air conditioner was going full blast, and she was freezing. She wasn't mad anymore. Well, maybe, she was a little mad, but she didn't feel it. All the fear beneath the anger bubbled to the surface and turned to sadness. She felt herself getting misty eyed and squeezed her eyes closed to keep the tears away.

"Lauren."

Slowly, Lauren turned on her side, facing Bo. Bo was looking at her with a tense expression. As Lauren looked at her, Bo's expression relaxed. It was amazing how little it took from Lauren to send her insides melting.

With their gazes locked, Lauren sought Bo's mouth and found it. She used her lips to tease, to brush gently against Bo's before sinking into her with a lush, deep kiss. Shock held Bo motionless a beat, and then her hand cupped the back of Lauren's head, holding her in place as she started participating in the kiss. Bo retreated a fraction, their lips separating, and she rubbed her nose along Lauren's, and then she returned for another kiss with more intensity.

Lauren tangled her legs with Bo's, the soft brush of Bo's hair on her face, the delicious warmth of her skin provided the comfort and reassurance she desperately needed. The smooth, rhythmic strokes of Bo's tongue were undeniably sexual, yet it was also tender. Heartfelt. She loved Bo's mouth, loved how she kissed her. She wanted to lose herself in Bo, and the coaxing demand of Bo's mouth was making it easy for her to do so. She decided, just as soon as the kissing finished, she was going to talk things out with Bo. But first, they would kiss because her body told her she needed it. And her brain seemed to agree.

Bo's hand slid up Lauren's bare thigh, sending shivers right to her lower stomach and Lauren pressed her mouth more firmly to hers. But Bo didn't push for more. If she had, Lauren would probably have given in easily. Instead, they only kissed and lightly stroked each other's skin with their fingers.

Eventually, Bo's lips softened, and she slowly pulled back, tugging Lauren's lower lip between her teeth as long as she could until the connection broke. They rested their foreheads together, catching their breath, neither willing to end the touching.

"Lauren," Bo said, blowing a warm breath over the wet patch left by her mouth on Lauren's lips. She scrambled for something to say to make things right between them. "I hate this, please, let's not fight."

Despite how glorious the kissing and touching were, Bo pulled herself away to break up the sexual tension building between them. She wasn't interested in falling back into their historical patterns, arguing about something, followed by sex as a temporary fix. They were too old for that, had been together too long.

Bo shifted on her side again so she could see Lauren's face. She looked Lauren over but kept a little distance between them.

They stared at each other in the darkness for a few seconds, and then Lauren asked, "Did you get a good look at him?"

Bo shook her head and ran her fingers through Lauren's hair a few times. "It was too dark to see. I only saw a shadow, but that shadow was definitely watching this house." Anger stole into her voice. "It must be another warning to back off. I mean it's awfully brazen to stand outside our house. That tells me I'm on the right track with this investigation."

"I'm sorry I overreacted." Lauren's voice was dropped to a gentle whisper.

Bo's mouth fell open, her body relaxing. She had been ready to go another round with Lauren, and Lauren's words surprised her. "You're apologizing?" She asked with humor on her lips. "That's usually my job."

Rolling her eyes, Lauren said. "Hilarious. When I'm wrong, I admit it. I shouldn't have freaked out on you. It wasn't the proper way to get my point across."

Bo thought about that, about Lauren's reaction. She decided that Lauren had been right and she was wrong. "No, as always you were right. I should have called it in and not chased after him. In the end, I ended up with nothing. I was reckless."

Lauren blew out a breath, but the lingering anxiety refused to let go. "I get why you did it. But it scared me that you chased after him so blindly."

Suddenly, Bo was overcome with hopelessness, and regret. "This whole thing is so crazy. I'm sorry this situation got brought into our home. But I won't let him get to you. I'll do everything I can to make sure that doesn't happen."

Bo still needed to hold Lauren, and she saw Lauren needed her to hold her, so she did. She gathered her in her arms, and Lauren snuggled closer, burying her face in Bo's neck.

When they were touching, Lauren spoke again. "I know you're beating yourself up, but there was nothing you could've done to stop this. You're not responsible for the actions of others."

Bo was quiet, thinking, and Lauren didn't push. Instead, she rubbed her back in silence.

"I'm not good enough for you, Lauren."

The hand that had been caressing Bo's back went still, and Lauren found Bo's eyes. "I disagree."

Bo shrugged, giving Lauren a small smile. "But then really no one is good enough for you. I'm just glad you picked me as your life partner."

Lauren cuddled into Bo's body again, and was quiet for a few minutes. "I love you madly. You believe me?" She whispered, sounding half-asleep.

"I do." Bo massaged Lauren's hair with her fingers until she felt her drift off to sleep.

But Bo didn't go to sleep. She waited until she was sure she wouldn't wake Lauren before she eased herself out of her embrace and got up. She glanced at the clock, and it was a little after two. She pulled on her sweats, retrieved her weapon from the bedside table and went into the living room. She sat in an armchair and fired up the security feed on her phone, and waited. If that stalker wanted to make another appearance she was going to be ready for him.

 **XXXXX**

 **AN**

 **Next up: The charity event. Answers are coming I promise.**

 **Thanks for reading and reviewing.**


	12. Chapter 12

Bo stepped into the room and leaned against the doorframe. In front of the floor length mirror, she found Lauren bent over, putting on her high heels.

"Mmm, that's a great view," Bo said, taking a good long look at Lauren's body.

Lauren grinned at Bo's words and righted herself, then caught sight of Bo through the mirror. Bo wore a clingy, sexy black dress with her thigh exposed through the long slit down the side. Bo was entirely too attractive, she thought as she ogled her. Distractedly so. "And what exactly are you looking at?" She asked, still holding her grin.

"One of my favorite things." Bo's gaze ran down the back of Lauren's body, and she blew out a tight sigh. Lauren was a vision. She somehow managed to be both sexy and demure at the same time. She wore a deep blue necklace and matching earrings to add a little color to the sophisticated, simple white gown she wore. The soft fabric of the dress clung to her lean body, dipping low in the back. All that exposed skin just begged for Bo to put her mouth all over it.

"There's a whole lot of sexy going on here in front of me." Bo said as she finally entered the bedroom. "I'm so hot for you right now."

Lauren's warm laugh slid all around Bo. It was alluring. As uniquely wonderful as the woman it belonged to.

"You're always turned on."

"Only around you," Bo said, sitting on the edge of the bed and pulling on her strappy black high heels. She flicked her gaze up to Lauren. "I kind of want to peel that dress off you with my teeth."

"Do it." Lauren joked back, calling Bo's bluff.

"Later, my love, later. Though, I will say you and me with this bed nearby is a really bad idea." Bo padded the bed next to her stressing her point.

Lauren couldn't keep the amusement off her face as she said, "Let's put that overactive imagination of yours on hold for a few hours."

Bo blinked, all innocent as she tried to suppress her guilty smile. "Yeah, yeah, okay." Sliding off the bed, she came to her feet. "You ruin all my sexy fun."

Lauren grinned at Bo's teasing, and she was pleased to see it. Before Bo could add another comment, her cell beeped.

"Who is it?" Lauren's eyes flickered between Bo and the phone in the mirror.

Bo glanced at the screen then back to Lauren. "Cars here. Time to go."

Lauren stiffened abruptly, her good mood slipping as dread rolled through her. With her smile gone, she ran her fingers through her hair. She was concerned that Bo might push Clayton too far, that she'd get too close, and a man like that wouldn't be afraid to make Bo another casualty.

With a slow, lazy smile that Lauren watched spread in the mirror, Bo came up behind her and rested her hands on her shoulders. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Lauren said automatically.

Lauren wasn't meeting Bo's gaze in a way that felt like avoidance. Bo waited a beat and then prompted once more. "Something."

Lauren lifted her eyes to Bo's in the mirror and their gazes held. Lauren's gentle eyes studied Bo and Bo could see the words hovering near the surface.

"I know something's up." Bo started using her thumbs to try to loosen the tension from Lauren's neck. She knew right where the stress collected and got busy on the spot.

Lauren let out a sigh of relief as Bo stroked her skin, unknotted muscles that were tight like twisted wires. "It's very annoying when you act like you know me so well." She said with a light tone.

Because it was right there, Bo brought her lips to Lauren's neck. "But it's not an act." She whispered against her skin, and then kissed her neck. "I do know you. Better than anyone, and that's why I know something's up."

Lauren studied herself in the mirror and debated voicing her thoughts to Bo.

Bo waited patiently and offered a small, encouraging smile as she raised her mouth off Lauren's skin.

"It's nothing."

Bo's chin settled on Lauren's shoulder, her arms tightened around her waist. In the mirror, she scrutinized Lauren further. "You can stay home if you want." She stated, guessing the direction of Lauren's thoughts.

"I don't. I want to be there."

"So what's up?"

Lauren took a deep breath to collect her thoughts and answered truthfully. "I'm worried about you confronting Clayton. Remember if it feels too dangerous if you think it might go poorly, don't risk it. It's not worth it."

Bo nodded in agreement, a gesture that was entirely too capitulating to be believable. Lauren knew she was determined to see her plan through and nothing was going to stop her. And that's why the sick feeling in Lauren's stomach wouldn't go away.

"Look, babe, I understand your apprehension. But the event is secure. A lot of security will be around. These people can't be dumb enough to do anything to me in the middle of a charity dinner."

Bo was appealing to Lauren's practicality, and she knew it. And she did take comfort in Bo's words, despite the nagging worry that remained. Why was she so convinced something horrible would befall them all that night? Bo was right the event was secure, and there were no risks, but she wasn't so sure that was true. But she also knew her negative attitude and thoughts were counterproductive. She couldn't allow herself to be ruled by her emotions. She forced herself to put her worries aside so she could focus on Bo and get them through the evening.

"I suppose you're right." Lauren turned from the mirror, winding her arms around Bo's neck. "It's silly of me to worry. I won't worry until I have something to worry about. Luckily, I'll be there to keep an eye on you."

That made Bo smile. "I promise I'll be careful. I'm glad you'll be by my side to keep me in line."

Lauren laid her lips on Bo's just as Bo lazily twirled a lock of Lauren's hair.

Bo was frowning, searching Lauren's face when they separated. "This needs to be over. Soon."

"And it will be," Lauren said, holding Bo's gaze, strong and steady. "We'll get through this."

"I'm close, Lauren. I can feel it, taste it."

"Then let's go and get this thing over with," Lauren reached for Bo's hand and linked their fingers.

They were silent for a stretch. Though they had different motivations for going to the event, at that moment, they were really one unit. They were unified. Bo didn't like Lauren worrying about her, but she was glad to have her support. Maybe it was selfish on her part, but she liked that Lauren was going to be by her side.

Bo turned them to face the mirror again. Smiling at their reflections, she said, "We look pretty good together." She lifted their twined hands to her mouth and kissed Lauren's fingers. "More than good, perfect."

XXXXX

Bo, Lauren, and Dyson sat in tense silence for most of the ride to the event, each lost in their own thoughts, preparing for what they'd face in the next few hours.

Bo crossed her legs, her foot jiggling restlessly with pent up nerves. She hated waiting, which was a personal disadvantage because detective work was full of it. She was running out of patience because she couldn't seem to nail down much, if any, specific information about her father's death. That's why confronting Clayton was so important to her. She had to do something that could possibly speed things along. For all their sakes. As long as the threat was still out there, they would always have a sense of dread hanging over them.

"Check this place out," Dyson said as they pulled up to the brick-fronted mansion with black shutters and tall white columns. "Nice digs."

"I'd never live in a place like this. Too pretentious." Bo said as a valet rushed up to their limo and opened the door. The moment she stepped out she surveyed the scene. Limousines, reporters, valets were everywhere and guests were walking up a red carpet that led up to the main doors.

"But you did live in a place like this," Dyson said, following Bo out of the limo.

"Not by choice." Bo retorted, smoothing out her dress, before offering her hand to Lauren as she climbed out of the limo.

They walked through a line of reporters into a staging area much like airport security, passing through metal detectors to check for weapons. After handing a young woman her ticket for the event, Bo was guided to the next security checkpoint. Apparently, they weren't taking any chances. Some hulking man began patting Bo down with his sleazeball hands, which loitered a bit too long in the chest area. Any other day, she'd have broken all his fingers for touching her like that. But she'd refrained. For the mission's sake. After finishing up the groping session, Bo joined Dyson and Lauren inside.

"I need a shower after that," Bo mumbled under her breath.

Lauren's mouth quirked at the comment. "They were certainly handsy. Weren't they?"

Dyson blew out a breath. "I still can't believe we're actually going to these people's house voluntarily. Unarmed."

"We're limited in what we can do. Everything we do tonight must be aimed at getting a few answers." Bo said as they slipped through the crowd jammed together trying to enter the ballroom. She threw her shoulders back and pressed her hand lightly against the small of Lauren's back as they followed the other guests through the massive French doors.

The ballroom at the Reed estate was magnificent, with chandelier lights that appeared to be sparkling stars against the high ceilings. Wood floors and original architectural features met Bo's eyes everywhere. White-clothed tables surrounded the large polished dance floor, each table decorated with a red-and-blue floral arrangement in the center. All of the men wore tuxes, and the women donned ball gowns.

Bo took a long measuring scan of the people milling around the grand ballroom and wondered where the Reed family was in the crowd. There were several elected officials present, other very wealthy coots, and some media covering the event, but Clayton didn't appear to be in the crowd. She'd have to wait.

Bo thought the entire thing was too foolishly elaborate. Wasteful. Why couldn't these rich people just donate money to charity without throwing themselves parties? Perhaps, it wasn't worth it to them unless they had an audience to witness their benevolence, the cynical part of Bo's mind thought.

A server bearing a tray of champagne in crystal flutes walked by, and Dyson grabbed one. Immediately, Lauren took it from his hand, and placed it back on the tray and shooed the server away. "No drinking tonight." She chastised, giving Dyson a stern look.

"What's one drink going to do to a guy like me?" Dyson asked, pointing at the center of his chest.

As Lauren and Dyson went into a back and forth about the no drinking rule, Bo suddenly felt the short hairs on her body bristling. It gave her the distinct and disturbing sensation that she was being watched. She glanced around the room but didn't see anyone looking her way. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that there were eyes on her.

Restlessness emanated from Bo, which Lauren picked up on. She draped an arm over Bo's shoulder. "What is it?" She questioned, watching as Bo's eyes canvassed the room.

Bo didn't answer because there wasn't really an answer. She felt like she was being watched, but in a room filled with hundreds of bodies, a few probably recognized her as Harvey's daughter. Her presence would draw attention, even if she didn't want it to.

With that in mind, Bo turned her full attention to Dyson and Lauren and made an effort to redirect her thoughts with some normal conversation. She needed to simmer down, and start acting like the cop she was, and focus on what came next. Instead of standing there marinating in the suspicion that she was being watched.

XXXXX

Finally, Clayton Reed began the evening with a short speech about his desire to make a difference in the world, and his plans for the future, which included his intentions to win Harvey Dennis' senate seat. Bo rolled her eyes when he finished his speech and the crowd got to their feet clapping and cheering.

After a few more short speeches had been given, dinner was served. The heavy pop of champagne corks echoed around the room, and servers began making their way through the crowd with trays. The servers moved from table to table like silent, efficient ghosts, filling glasses, placing plates of lobster and filet mignon on the tables without interrupting conversations.

The buzz of voices rose and ebbed around them as crystal rang from impromptu toasts. Several people recognized Bo and passed by to start up conversations with her about her father. She knew the ins and outs of the game and played her part well, smiling and thanking them.

"Harvey was a very special man." The woman sitting next to Bo said. "He was well-liked by all."

Bo glanced to her side, finding a heavy set, older woman. She vaguely recognized her from Harvey's funeral. She thought she was a Congresswoman, but didn't want to ask to confirm it. In a room full of fake smiling politicians and wealthy people, she seemed to stand-alone with her sincere presence.

"Yes, he was," Bo spoke with her politely and scanned the ballroom reflexively, looking for Clayton.

"Your father is sorely missed, but his legacy won't be forgotten." Her smile widened, crinkling the skin on her gentle looking face. "Many, myself included, had hoped that he would run for president someday."

Bo's curiosity was piqued. "Was he aiming for a presidential run?" She asked before she could stop herself. "I never heard him talk about wanting that."

"Your father confided in me about a number of things. And I have no doubt it was something he wanted." She answered Bo, sadness and sympathy showing in her eyes. "What about you dear? Are you planning to follow in your father's footsteps?"

Bo poked at her food with her fork, suddenly not hungry. "No, ma'am. I don't have the stomach for politics." She stopped playing with her food because it was definitely poor etiquette, and folded her hands in her lap.

"Very few do." The Congresswoman said kindly, and then proceeded to go into a few funny stories about Harvey, and Bo couldn't help but beam listening to her. It was nice for Bo to hear about that side of her father.

After the remaining dishes had been removed from all the tables, the band began to play a little louder. Across the room, Tamsin and Evony took to the dance floor. They had been seated at a VIP table at the front of the room. Lauren was surprised that Tamsin seemed poised and confident standing next to Evony. It was a little weird. Usually, Tamsin would have hated such an event.

Dyson leaned in to whisper to Lauren, "They make a weird couple, don't they?" He said, watching the pair on the dance floor. "I'm not judging just seems like a strange pairing."

Lauren followed Dyson's eyes back to Tamsin. "I don't know. It's hard to understand relationship dynamics from the outside, looking in. Maybe, whatever they share works uniquely for them."

"Wise words, my friend," Dyson said, clinking his water glass with Lauren's. "Our whole group is filled with odd, unlikely couples, but they all seem to work just fine. No reason the same can't be true for Tamsin and Evony."

It didn't take long for the dance floor to fill up with couples enjoying the music. Others separated forming small groups, which dotted various areas of the ballroom, talking and laughing among themselves. The air started to feel suffocating. There were far too many people around Bo, and she was annoyed that she had lost sight of her target.

Needing a distraction, Bo pushed out of her chair to stand next to Lauren. Bowing before her, she held out her hand. "May I have this dance with my wife?"

Smiling, first at Bo's offered palm and then at her face, Lauren asked. "Do you think that's a good idea? You're here to work."

Not immediately replying, Bo reached for Lauren, pulled her to her feet, and slid an arm around her waist. Lauren allowed her to hold her body against hers, and they swayed in time with the music in the background.

Bo moved her mouth to Lauren's ear, and finally whispered an answer to Lauren's question. "I think it's an excellent idea. A little dance isn't going to stop me from my mission. There's nothing wrong with taking a break to have some fun."

Lauren's eyes twinkled brightly as she let Bo pull her to the dance floor and into her arms. They settled in a far corner of the dance floor, where Bo could be alone with Lauren while keeping an eye on everyone else.

"You're a great dancer." Bo's husky voice, whispered against Lauren's ear. Her palm rested on the small of Lauren's back, her fingertips moved to the indentation of her spine, feeling the movement of muscles as she danced.

Lauren's blood hummed with arousal, which seemed inappropriate in light of the current situation. She did her best to not appear as turned on as she felt.

"I wish we danced more." Bo brought her lips to the base of her throat, and she felt Lauren's quick pulse underneath her lips. "Why don't we dance more?" She raised her eyes to Lauren's, meeting her gaze as she said it.

Lauren glanced around the large room at the other dancing couples, her gaze speculative before concentrating back on Bo. "Time and opportunity."

Bo grinned brightly at Lauren, that lightning bolt of absolute charm that made Lauren's stomach do a little flip. "We don't need to go out to dance. We only need a little space." She said before swinging Lauren into a fast turn to the music's rising tempo. "We could dance in our living room if we wanted. Every night."

When Lauren came back into Bo's arm, heat filled Bo's gaze as her hand tightened on Lauren's lower back, her body moving intimately against Lauren's. "Naked dancing that is."

"You have a way with words, Detective," Lauren chortled and kissed Bo once on her lips. "You really do."

Bo twirled Lauren, and then brought Lauren even closer, holding her hand and encircling her waist. Lauren rested her hand on Bo's shoulder and looked up at her face. Bo's eyes had a joyful light to them, and Lauren was happy to see it. It helped to relax her body and make her forget where they were. What they gave to each other closed all the rest outside. A peace, a solace, love. Lauren closed her eyes and enjoyed it. She had no idea what was coming next, but at that moment, she cherished that they were safely together, bathed in happiness and love.

Oblivious to the mass of people around them, Bo drew Lauren closer, closer still. She was simply content to just look at Lauren. They traded stares for several long moments as they moved together smooth, and slow and sweet in a circle.

Bo leaned forward to touch her lips to Lauren's. A long, warm kiss that soothed rather than excited. "You're an endless source of fascination to me. You know that?"

The tempo of the music escalated, and Bo spun Lauren away from her until she was an arm's length away with their hands still laced together. Then, just as quickly, she brought Lauren back into her body.

A new smile bloomed on Lauren's face as her body encountered Bo's. "I'm happy I'm here to entertain you." Her voice was both teasing and intimate as she answered Bo's previous statement.

Bo spun her away from her again, and again until the ending notes of the song filtered through the speakers.

Once the song ended, Lauren laughed out loud as Bo unexpectedly dipped her. When Bo pulled her back to her, Bo was grinning. "I'm glad to see you having a little fun. You deserve more moments like this." She said and waltzed Lauren into the next song.

They danced for three songs, and then Bo went very still with her eyes across the room. "There he is." She said into Lauren's ear.

Over her shoulder, Lauren followed Bo's eyes to find Clayton. He stood off to the side, men and women crowded around him, laughing and talking.

"So how are you approaching this?" Lauren asked, bringing her gaze back to Bo's.

"I'm going to have a simple conversation with him. Nothing dangerous." Bo said in an attempt to reassure her wife.

"Here you are." Fitzpatrick McCorrigan, Harvey's former lawyer, said walking up to Bo. "I heard you were here. I was hoping I could discuss something with you in private."

Lauren and Bo stepped apart, and Bo glared at him. "Here?" She bit out, more annoyed sounding than she had intended. "Why now?"

Mr. McCorrigan's expression didn't waver, but chilled slightly. "It's important. My schedule is very demanding, and I would really like to speak with you now."

"Fine." Bo puffed out, reluctantly. She decided she didn't want him pestering her for the rest of the evening. It was better to speak with him, and get him to leave her alone.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Lauren asked, darting her eyes back and forth between Bo's eyes.

"You stay with Dyson." Bo gestured her head in his direction back at the table. "I'll be right back."

XXXXXX

As Lauren headed across the dance floor back to where Dyson sat, Evony came into her view and zeroed in on her.

"You all right?" Evony asked as she came up to her, her sharp eyes taking a full inventory that served to make Lauren a little uncomfortable.

"Perfectly fine," Lauren said, walking quicker in hopes that it would discourage Evony from following her.

"Good old Dr. Lewis loves the passive-aggressive game."

Lauren stopped dead in her tracks and glared at her. "You're the only one who plays games, Dr. Marquise."

Grinning, Evony grabbed a champagne glass from a passing server. "Oh, honey, you are so wrong about me." She turned her eyes to Lauren over the rim of the glass.

"That I doubt," Lauren said, not noticing Tamsin approaching them as they spoke.

"An overweight dude just hit on me. I think he assumed I was an escort." Tamsin came up and settled next to Lauren. "Weird."

"Who?"

Tamsin nodded across the room, and Lauren and Evony tracked the gesture. They found a beefy man with a neck thick as a boar's talking in a group that included the governor.

"Stay clear of that one. He's a sleaze." Evony said as she continued to examine the man across the room with clear dislike.

"What were you two talking about?" Tamsin questioned, her eyes shifting between Lauren and Evony. The vibe they gave off made Tamsin curious.

"Lauren thinks I'm playing a long game and trying to seduce her away from her wife," Evony answered, her eyes moved to Lauren as she spoke to Tamsin.

Lauren gaped, and stuttered. "I…that's…" She glanced in Tamsin's direction and fell silent.

Tamsin and Lauren stood uncomfortably together while Evony smirked in victory and sipped from her glass.

"I've told the poor dear I'm not interested, but she keeps insinuating otherwise."

Lauren's eyes bulged, and she choked on her astonishment, throwing Evony a heated glare. Her mouth dropped open, but someone pinched her elbow before she could get any of her words out. She turned to find Dyson at her side.

"Hey." Dyson shifted his eyes around the group. Lauren was looking at him, Evony was grinning at Lauren, and Tamsin was frowning at Evony. "Okay. What's with the weirdness?" He asked, not understanding what he'd just walked into.

"What weirdness?" Lauren said, in a grumbling tone. "There's no weirdness."

Laughing as he unbuttoned his too tight tux jacket, Dyson said, "Whatever you say, Doc."

"Well, anyway," Lauren said, the prolonged silence that had settled around them was uncomfortable, and she needed to say something. "What do you know about Clayton Reed?" She asked Evony, realizing she might have some insight into the man as they probably ran in the same social circles.

"I find him a particularly vile form of life," Evony answered after taking a long sip from her glass.

Lauren waited for Evony to elaborate, but when it became apparent she didn't intend to, she asked, "For any particular reason?"

"He's a man with a lot of clout and connections. He's egocentric, ruthless, and incredibly ambitious. All of those traits I could forgive, even respect, but…" Evony leaned forward as if imparting confidences. "There's a nastiness with how he does business and treats others that I despise. He makes others feel small so he can feel powerful. The word is, if anyone around him disagrees with him, they get replaced or worse…"

"What do you mean?" Tamsin prompted, eyeing Evony with interest.

Evony sipped, smiled. "Let me tell you, the rich people in this city love to gossip and spread rumors. They dream up all kinds of wild things since they don't have much else on their dull minds. People get so jealous of each other and bored they'll say anything to brighten their boring lives."

"What kind of rumors?" Dyson asked, speaking up.

Evony turned her formidable gaze on Dyson. "Rumors are just that, rumors." She said, clearly enjoying having all their undivided attention.

Nearly as intrigued as she was annoyed, Lauren studied Evony. "Enlighten us."

Amused, Evony ran one fingertip around the rim of her glass. "I love that you're so persistent." She flashed Lauren a small smirk.

Lauren and Tamsin gave Evony matching impatient expressions.

"Fine," Evony dragged out the word, "Well, you didn't hear it from me, but the speculation is when Clayton doesn't get what he wants people tend to disappear. Vanish without a trace. But, of course, that's nothing but gossip."

XXXXXX

A mix of voices rolled toward them as Bo stood with Mr. McCorrigan just outside the ballroom, though, muted slightly because of their distance. For several minutes, he chatted with her, about nothing really, just commenting on the various high profile people at the party that he knew. Bo was getting annoyed because there didn't seem to be a point to the conversation and she began tapping her heel impatiently. Bo knew he was probably waiting for her to engage in the small talk, but she couldn't think of anything to say to him.

"My apologies. I'm blest, or cursed, with the gift of gab." He said, and then slightly frowning he glanced at his watch. "How are you?"

"Fine. Thanks for asking." She answered, inwardly rolling her eyes.

"Good, good," He took her hand and patted it. "Events like this make me miss Jack. He really knew how to work a crowd. Charm them with his natural charisma."

"Uh-huh." Glowering, Bo pulled her hand away from his. "I don't mean to be rude, but what do you want? I would really like to get back to my wife."

He nodded, kept his eyes on hers. "I'd like to hear how things are going with your father's estate. Are you selling it?"

Bo dragged in an annoyed breath and let it out before speaking. "Why?" She asked suspiciously. "Do you want to buy it?"

"No. But I would like to offer my services should you be in need of an attorney."

"Umm," Bo said distractedly as she scanned the room, searching for Clayton. But instead, she spotted Lauren sitting with the others. Lauren briefly looked her way. She waved, and Bo waved back.

"How about we squeeze in a quick meeting next week," He said pleasantly, trying to get Bo's attention again.

Flashing cameras caught Bo's eyes to the right. The press was talking to a few of the guests. More of the news reporters covering the event came to life, and a large group was gathering between Bo and the ballroom. But she couldn't hear with they were saying because she was too far away.

Mr. McCorrigan glanced at his watch again and then shifted his eyes around before he prompted again. "Ms. Dennis. How about that meeting?"

Bo shot a look toward him, who stood staring, with apparent intent interest on her. "Sure, whatever." She agreed just to get him to leave her alone.

"Excellent. I won't keep you any longer." Fitzpatrick departed, and she watched him walk away and melt into the sea of people.

Bo stayed there for a second, or two after he moved off. She couldn't see Lauren through the crowd of individuals. All she could see were the faces of strangers who paid no attention to her. Bo was just calculating the least annoying route around the room, when, without warning, she began to get an uncomfortable feeling in her gut. Something was off. She shouldn't be there by herself.

"Bo Dennis." Somebody was calling her name from behind.

Bo turned around with her back to the ballroom. The sudden appearance of two burly guards cemented her suspicions. She'd made an error by separating from the others.

They stood blocking her path, taking a long look at her that made her skin crawl. She didn't miss the guns peeking out of their coats, or the distinct menace that surrounded them.

"Howdy, what's up fellas?" She knew their presence was a threat, but she was determined to buy some time by keeping up a friendly ruse as long as possible.

"Mr. Reed would like a word with you."

There was a roaring in Bo's ears, the noise of the crowd behind had picked up with clapping and cheers. It was so deafening Bo could barely hear herself think, let alone hear herself as she said, "Well, I'm a cop, and I'm not going anywhere with you." As she spoke, she slipped off her wedding ring letting it drop silently behind her. If something bad was going to shake down, she wanted to leave a clue, a message for Dyson and Lauren. She would never willingly take off her ring, and she knew Lauren would know that.

One of the hunks of meat grabbed her arm and led her away from the ballroom out the large French doors, drawing no attention from the people around her.

They escorted her through a few back hallways into an office, where Bo promptly shook them off. Furious with herself for messing up so royally, Bo stared them down as they stared back at her. She worked through a dozen scenarios in her mind of how things would play out. None good. Had Mr. McCorrigan been sent to her specifically to separate her from the group? She shook that thought off. She was getting paranoid about everything.

Due to security reasons, Bo had failed to wear her clutch piece on her leg, so she was completely disarmed. She needed to tread lightly as long as she could.

"What do you want with me?" Bo asked with more than a trace of irritability in her voice.

One goon eyed her with disdain. "No questions."

"Um, you locked me in here, and I'm not supposed to ask why?"

The other guard stared straight ahead, his face devoid of expression. "You know why."

Bo scoffed and crossed her arms. "If I knew, I wouldn't be asking."

They ignored her, and Bo proceeded to repeatedly try and get information out of the security guards, but they kept shushing her.

XXXXXX

A few minutes later, Clayton Reed marched into the room. In one smooth motion, he swung the door closed and crossed the room to his desk. His expression was outwardly neutral, but Bo could see simmering rage behind his nearly black eyes.

"Bo Dennis." He said as if her name was ever so slightly distasteful to his palette.

"Lovely party." Bo greeted, watching his every movement.

"Yes, it's quite the event, but I don't remember putting you on the guest list." He stared at her, through her, and his mouth thinned to a sharp line. "What are you doing here?"

Casually, Bo sat across from him. The two guards loomed threateningly behind her, keeping a close watch on Clayton. "Of course you know what happened to my father." She cut right to the point.

Clayton didn't even blink. "Terrible thing."

"Well, I'm trying to find out more about it," Bo said, leaning back in the chair. "I'm looking for answers about his death."

"Maybe you will be successful with that and maybe you won't," Clayton said without emotion. "These kinds of things can be difficult to investigate."

"I like difficult."

Clayton looked Bo over slowly, sizing her up. "A Senator's death…that's complicated. If you asked me, I would very much advise you to stay clear of things like that."

"Not going to happen. I know something bad happened to my father, and I'm going to investigate every possible angle until I discover the truth."

After a five-second stare down, Clayton's stretched his lips into a haughty grin. "It's strange that a beautiful woman like yourself would become a detective." He said, studying Bo with interest. "I imagine your looks prevent people from taking you seriously."

"It's never come up. Never been an issue." Bo allowed her voice to be neither meek nor combative. Just neutral.

Clayton pulled a cigar from his pocket, his tone utterly condescending as he remarked, "Somehow, I don't believe that. You will never be equal to a man. When men look at you, they see a body not a person to fear or respect."

Clayton was playing with her like a cat's toy, much like he played with the cigar between his fingertips, but Bo was fully aware of what was happening. She wasn't going to let him control the conversation, wasn't going to allow him to take the upper hand by baiting her.

"That's their problem, not mine." She stared at him a second and pasted on a fake smile. "You want to know why I'm a cop? I like to help. When something bad happens in a person's life, which permanently alters them, that bothers me. A lot. That's why I seek justice for all those innocent victims."

"As I see it," Clayton said after lighting his cigar, "No one in this world is truly innocent. The human soul is a labyrinth. Dark creatures can grow anywhere, even in the most manicured grasses. In one way or another, everyone deserves their fate."

"Including you?" Bo asked, hoping to prompt Clayton on.

"That's a peculiar question, isn't it?"

"What about you son?"

His nostril's flared with contempt. "My son's never been convicted of any crimes."

Bo sat straighter, finally feeling a surge of power by his reaction. "True, but it's only a matter of time."

"No rational jury will ever find my son guilty. He's going to live a long and good life even though you tried to bring him down." He said with a voice of entitlement and all the things Bo hated most about rich people who thought they owned the world.

"I doubt that."

"You are feisty but foolish. Which can be difficult to tell apart, especially, when the end result is always the same."

"Anything else?" Bo asked flippantly, rolling her eyes.

"You're becoming an irritant," Clayton's free hand balled into a fist, tapping a lightly on the desk. "Leave me, and my family alone."

"The funny thing is," Bo said, deliberately slow. "The more people tell me to back off the more bullheaded I become about forging full steam ahead."

He leaned in closer to her. "You're so arrogant, aren't you? Self-righteous. Just like your father. Prancing around like you own the world, like nothing can touch you. Coming into my home. Uninvited. Accusing me of things. Just like your father. In my world, you are a small fish with no real power."

"Speaking of my father, tell me what you know about his death." She asked, hoping that by tossing him a rope he'd hang himself with his answer.

A muscle twitched in his jaw, but otherwise, his expression remained calm.

"Not a thing."

Bo's phone began to vibrate against her skin. She knew it was Lauren looking for her without checking the message. She decided not to waste anymore time. "Did you kill my father?" She demanded to know. She knew he wasn't going to answer truthfully. What she was looking for was how he reacted to the question.

Clayton let out a harsh laugh, as he brought the cigar to his lips. Leaning forward, he blew the smoke into her face.

Bo held his gaze without flinching. She would have loved to plow her fist into his pompous face, but that wouldn't get her any closer to the answers she needed. So, she questioned, "What did you do to my father?"

Clayton's eyes flickered, and then went dead cold, but his voice remained controlled. "Such a naïve little girl you are. Your father was nothing. He was insignificant to me in the long run. Ultimately, he was no more than an irritation, a mosquito. Much like you."

With her eyes steady on Clayton's, Bo withdrew the printed photo of Rainer and Paris, which had been tucked in her bra with her phone, and placed it on the desk in front of him.

He gave the photo about two seconds of his attention. "I have no idea who that is with my daughter."

"Let me refresh your memory. That's my father's former assistant Rainer." She tapped the photo over the couple. "And there he stands with your daughter, looking very cozy."

"So?"

Bo slipped the photo back in place, then folded her hands on the edge of the desk and smiled. "So, that connects your family directly to my father. And now he's dead, and you have a clear shot to take his Senate seat. That tells me you're involved."

"That's a big leap to make, little girl."

"I don't believe that it is. What was Rainer's part? A pawn placed and discarded for your greater game?" Clayton remained silent, and Bo let that hang a moment before she continued. "Are Rainer and Paris together somewhere, right now? I know they're still in contact."

He clenched his jaw, and his complexion turned a very unattractive shade of purple.

"My daughter would never socialize with that trash." He practically shouted. "I put an end to that relationship years ago."

At that, Clayton came to his feet, stared hard at Bo, and said, "This is your final warning: You need to think really carefully about what you're doing. About the choice you're making here. You don't know what it means to have a real enemy. And trust me, you don't want me as your enemy."

Bo held his gaze as he circled the desk. "You've been my enemy since the moment you killed my father. I'm going to take you down. You chose the wrong family to fuck with."

"With what proof? You have nothing, and that's why you're here. Do you really think I got this far by making mistakes? That I'm going to be outsmarted by a little girl? There is nothing to find."

"I know you were involved. Every crime leaves clues; there's always loose ends." Bo said pointedly, coming to her feet. "One way or another, you will pay for what you did."

Clayton stood by the door and opened it. "Careful, Detective, that sounds like you're threatening a civilian."

"Hell, no. Just stating a fact." Bo crossed the room and paused next to Clayton, coming toe to toe with him. "We're not done here. Next time you see me, I'll be arresting you. I'm going to expose you, and there's not a damn thing you can do to stop me. Count on that."

 **XXXXX**

 **AN**

 **Answers are coming in the next two chapters.**

 **It's a sad, scary time right now for many people, myself included. I just wanted to say take care of yourselves out there and try to support others if you can.**

 **Thanks for reading and reviewing.**


	13. Chapter 13

Feeling that her suspicions about Clayton were all but confirmed, Bo stepped away from the office door after Clayton had slammed it behind her. She was glad to finally have an actual substantial lead after weeks of nothing but theories.

Having what she needed, she was ready to go home with Lauren and Dyson. She was eager to hear what they would say about her meeting with Clayton. But as soon as she left the room, she noticed the hallway was much darker than it had been before. She did her best to remember the way and rushed off in the direction of the ballroom.

With her mind flipping between her father, Clayton, and Rainer, she felt uneasy about walking around unarmed. Instinct flooded her, and she picked up her pace to a light jog.

Rounding a corner, Bo took the opportunity to reply to Lauren's text. She pulled out her phone. But that was exactly when someone grabbed her from behind, hauled her against his chest, and ripped the phone from her hand.

She fought to get him off her as he dragged her backward down the dim hall. She shoved her elbow into his gut just as a hand tightly covered her mouth. So tightly she could hardly draw in a breath. As she tried to peel his hand from her mouth, she felt the muzzle of a gun jab into her back. As the pressure of the weapon increased to the point of pain, the man spoke in her ear. Her blood froze in her veins the second she recognized the voice.

"Go ahead, Detective Dennis. Give me a reason to shoot you." The familiar whiny voice taunted.

Doug Reed.

The next moment, Bo's shoulders relaxed, and she held her hands in the air in a show of surrender. She made a point of acting as compliant as possible as she let him push her forward. How had she let this happen? She'd let herself get so distracted she had walked right into a trap. Trouble certainly had a way of finding her.

Bo held her breath, waiting for, imagining what came next, and scrambling to come up with a way out of the situation. Always looking and planning her escape. Knowing Dyson and Lauren were somewhere out there, looking for her, helped her gather her courage. She knew it wouldn't take long for them to notice her long absence. She also told herself Lauren was safe with Dyson; he would do whatever it took to protect her. When she didn't come back, Lauren and Dyson wouldn't wait long to go check on her. She'd been in that meeting a long time, after all. They were probably looking for her already.

Doug marched her down the basement stairs. Once at the bottom, she looked around. The room was messy, smelled of stale cigarettes and beer, and another foul smell that she couldn't place. Dust covered everything, twitching her nose. The back of the room was littered with metal and plywood shelving that reached to the ceiling. Her eyes circled around, landing on an ominous looking metal chair in the center of the room.

XXXXX

Something didn't feel right to Lauren. Something was wrong. She looked at her phone for the tenth time since she'd sent Bo the text. Bo hadn't responded to her message. She had sent another message before she gazed around the ballroom to try and spot her. But she didn't see her with any of the people milling around.

Without a word to Dyson, Lauren jumped out of her chair and headed through the ballroom to look for Bo. Her stride propelled by the uneasy feeling that had taken root in her stomach. She couldn't put her finger on it or even explain why, but she knew, Bo was in trouble, and she needed her. And the feeling mushroomed as she called Bo and got no answer. The path to where she'd last seen Bo was filled with lots of different groups, and she did her best to navigate through them as quickly as possible.

Dyson came running up to Lauren, looking concerned. "What's going on?"

It took Lauren a moment to push back her panic, and she turned to look at Dyson. "Bo's been gone too long. I'm getting worried. She won't answer my messages. Bo always answers me. Always."

Lauren watched Dyson's expression harden as she shook herself back into action, and led him to where she'd last seen Bo.

"This is my fault," Lauren said, with her phone pressed to her heart. "I should have gone with her. Why did I let her out of my sight?"

"You're not responsible," Dyson put a hand on her arm, forcing her to look at him. "Do you think she went to confront Clayton by herself?"

At those words, a new sense of urgency hit Lauren, and she picked up speed, pushing through the sea of people. And Dyson did the same. Lauren held her head high, her gaze alert moving back and forth, scanning the different faces for Bo. Suddenly, they came to a stop in front of Mr. McCorrigan. Bo wasn't with him. Lauren and Dyson looked at each other for a long moment. It seemed very fishy that he'd be standing there without Bo. The whole thing stank like a setup and both Dyson and Lauren thought the same thing.

"Um, Mrs. Bo Dennis," Mr. McCorrigan started to extend his hand, apparently wondered if he should, and then pulled it back.

"Where's my wife?" Lauren's gaze swung from puzzlement to accusations as it landed squarely on the man.

Mr. McCorrigan stood straight; his shoulders squared, his lips tight. "What do you mean? We concluded our conversation, and we departed a while ago."

Dyson lunged forward. "What did you do with her?"

Mr. McCorrigan's eyes widened nervously, and he stepped back. "I don't know what you're suggesting."

Lauren's arm shot out to stop Dyson. "Have you seen her since? Do you know what direction she went?"

Mr. McCorrigan took the cocktail napkin in his hand and dabbed his forehead with it. "No. Perhaps she went to the ladies room." He suggested with a careless shrug.

After a moment's consideration, Lauren nodded. All she could imagine was Bo somewhere, bound up or, worse, hurt and in need of help. In need of her. She didn't want to waste time with this man, who didn't seem to be willing to give them any answers.

"Thanks for nothing, pal." Dyson snapped as Lauren tugged his arm.

Dyson and Lauren spun away from him. Anxiety had Lauren hurrying as quickly as possible.

"We'll find her." Dyson tried to soothe Lauren, but Lauren didn't look at him. She kept her eyes on the crowd searching for any signs of Bo.

Shortly after that, they were at the spot where Lauren had last seen Bo. She turned in a circle, desperately searching around for a clue, something that might tell her where Bo had gone. "Bo wouldn't just disappear. She wouldn't…." She trailed off, not wanting to voice her worst fears out loud.

"Maybe she confronted Clayton and…"

Lauren threw up a hand to stop him. "No! She wouldn't do that alone. I'm telling you something's wrong." Her voice broke on the last word, her tenuous hold on her emotions cracking.

To Dyson's credit, he dropped it, and didn't blow off her concern.

While Lauren's mind raced, dozens of thoughts all at once, her eye caught on something. At first, it looked inconsequential, but then she noticed it appeared to hold a touch of sparkle. She went over and bent down. She blanched, suddenly feeling like she'd been dunked into a tub full of freezing water as her fingers circled around what she immediately recognized as Bo's wedding ring.

When she swayed, Dyson rushed over and took her by the arm. "What is that?"

Lauren cast a panicked glance in Dyson's direction. "Bo's in trouble." She opened her hand to show Dyson the ring as she drew in a shuddering breath, let it out. "We have to find her."

Dyson blinked slowly as he stared at the piece of jewelry. And then pulled back from Lauren at the same time took out his phone. "I'm calling this in." He explained, speed-dialing Hale. "We need back up."

Lauren's heart pounded, and she wanted to curl into a ball and cry. She hated that weak impulse. The fear and panic left her frantic and shaking, but she took deep breaths and rose to her feet, pressing the foreboding back with a sheer wall of determination. She immediately adjusted her composure. Outwardly, at least. Inside, the bad feeling in her stomach grew to almost unmanageable proportions. But she couldn't fall apart. She knew it was vital that she push it away. Bo needed her, and she was going to find her.

XXXXX

Bo jerked her body away from Doug's grip, and he spun her around to face him. His beady eyes were alight with eagerness at the sight of her. Doug Reed was a rather nondescript thin man anyone could pass on the street without noticing him at all. Everything about him was painfully average except his eyes. In his eyes, Bo could see his madness. Even if he looked normal, Doug was thoroughly insane. She knew that from her previous experiences with him and the murders he had committed. There was no telling what he would do to her.

"Lookie, lookie here." He took his gun and aimed it right at Bo's head as Bo took a few steps back from him. "I didn't think this moment would come so soon. I'm so glad you decided to crash this party. It's made my job so much easier."

Bo stood tall, refusing to give him the pleasure of seeing her afraid. She could tell he wanted to hurt her. She could see it on his face. She needed to stall. She just needed to stay calm and…alive until Lauren and Dyson could find her.

Doug crossed to Bo, and she kept her eyes trained on the trigger of his gun.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" He waved the gun around, taunting Bo with it. "What's the badass detective going to do now?"

Bo forced herself to sound impassive and controlled. "Whatever you have planned you're not going to get away with it."

"We'll see. My family…I don't like to leave any loose ends. And you, bitch, you're a loose end." He declared smugly.

"It's incredibly stupid to kidnap a cop." Bo glanced around the basement, noting everything around her. "You have to know that."

"Should I shoot you, now, to get you to shut up?" He yelled angrily, hitting his chest with his free fist a few times.

Yep, insane, Bo thought as she took another step back. She was in a dicey spot. Unquestionably that was a fact, but she'd been in tough situations before and walked away, more or less fine. Thinking about that boosted her confidence a bit. What was one crazy asshole against a seasoned cop? He was clearly unstable, and she could use that to her advantage.

He began to pace back and forth in front of her as if thinking something over. He never took his eyes off Bo, who stood perfectly still while watching his every move.

"Sit." Doug gestured with his hand to a metal chair, which was bolted to the floor, in the middle of the room.

Rather than moving to the chair, Bo simply planted her feet. "As a rule, the only person I let tie me up is my wife; you know on special occasions."

"Quiet, you filthy beast." He said, snarling through his teeth while aiming the gun at her. He was only a few feet away from her ready to shoot her point-blank.

Keeping a wary eye on the gun, Bo did as directed. "So, what's the plan? How long do you think you can keep me here when the entire police department will be looking for me in a matter of minutes?" As she spoke, she considered her options. Letting him tie her up wasn't an option. That left only one alternative. She would have to try and disarm him. To fight back, somehow.

When Bo was seated in the chair, he pressed the barrel of the gun between her eyes. She stared up at him unblinking. She wasn't going to give him any satisfaction by reacting in any way.

"Women like you never learn." He gave her a snide smile as he said, "You need to be kept in line because you're too stupid to know any better. But I will teach you to be a proper and docile female."

Despite the cold metal biting into her skin, Bo laughed out loud at those statements. But she stilled just as quickly as raw fury checkered his face in a vivid red.

"You think you're better than me." His eyes narrowed at the derision in hers. "You require a lesson in humility." He tapped the gun against her forehead for emphasis.

Bo's heart rate picked up as she searched her mind for a viable way to save herself. She made her decision. She was going to rush Doug, even though, she very likely couldn't avoid getting shot. Bracing herself, she was about to charge into him, but before she could, he slammed the gun across her temple.

The force of it snapped Bo's head sideways. Her vision blurred. Agonizing pain ripped across her face; she felt like her skull had been split open. Darkness claimed her for several moments. As she came to, she blinked quickly to force her eyes open. When she focused back on Doug, he was at a table across the room, retrieving a roll of tape. Obviously, he intended to bind her to the chair and torture her. She couldn't let that happen.

XXXXX

Lauren dragged her hand through her hair as she struggled to keep from letting the terror swamp her. She wanted to scream. Cry. The thought of Bo in danger always made her crazy, but knowing for sure that she was in some sort of trouble made her tremble with fear. Nothing had ever scared her more than the possibility of losing Bo suddenly. She just wanted to hear Bo's voice at least, hear that she was okay.

"Come on, Bo." She whispered, staring at her phone so intently her eyes watered from the need to blink. She brought her phone to her heart, and willed Bo to call her. Had she told her she loved her that day? She couldn't remember. Why couldn't she remember? Bo's face loomed in Lauren's mind's eye as she tried to recount all the words she had spoken to her that day.

Beside her, Dyson paced as they kept a look out for backup, the seconds crawled by as they waited. Lauren looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful clear night, and the stars were out in full array, a glittering canopy above them. How many times had she and Bo looked at the stars together? Too many to count. As Lauren gazed at the sky, her sense of desolation deepened. She didn't have a good feeling. Losing Bo would take a piece of her too fundamental to ever replace. She would not recover from it. No, she wouldn't even think about a life without her. She couldn't.

Dyson breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Hale's car and three police cars converge onto the mansion. Hale and the police officers got out of their vehicles and rushed toward them.

"That's it?" Dyson asked as soon as Hale approached them. "We need more people."

Hale gave the order to the three cops to start questioning everyone to see if they had any idea about where Bo might be, or if they'd heard anything. Once he finished, he turned to Dyson. "I'd like to know what we're dealing with before I decide what more we need. I'm waiting on the judge to sign the warrant. I flagged it, top priority, so it shouldn't take much longer. All we can do now is question the other guests." Hale explained, concerned about skipping steps in their haste to locate Bo.

"With all due respect, sir," Dyson said, placing his fists on his hips. "The longer we wait…" He cleared his throat and glanced uneasily at his best friend. "Lauren hasn't heard from her for quite some time. We need access to their security system. It's the only way to find her. We can't waste any more time when Bo could be in danger."

Hale looked at his longtime friend, and said, "We don't know what happened to Bo. And if we go in guns blazing, and antagonize them, we don't know what they'll do to her."

Tamsin came running up to them, appearing frazzled. "We checked all the restrooms and questioned a few people. No ones seen Bo, but Evony still in there looking for her."

"I feel like I'm going to be sick," Lauren bent at the waist, propped her hands on her knees, and forced herself to breathe, knowing she wouldn't be any good to Bo if she lost it. She focused on breathing, but her chest ached under the weight of trepidation making it difficult. Breathe in. Breathe out. She repeated to herself.

Dyson placed a hand on Lauren's back. "We'll find her. Bo can handle herself in the meantime. She's no fool. She's a well-trained police officer."

"That's right." Tamsin agreed, giving Lauren an encouraging smile. "Bo's a badass."

Their comments earned a sad glance from Lauren. She didn't doubt Bo was a great cop, that she wasn't helpless. But she didn't feel reassured by that logic at all. She knew better than most people how fragile life was, and Bo's current situation was putting that fact into sharp focus. She swallowed back the bile creeping up her throat.

Dyson patted her on the back, repeating what he'd said earlier. "Bo's going to be just fine."

The alternative was unimaginable to Lauren, and she hoped with everything in her that they were right.

Hale looked at the mansion for a long moment while they waited for him to decide. "We should go inside and speak with Clayton while we wait for the warrant. If he gives us access to his security cameras, it will save us time. With the press present, it may put some extra pressure on him."

"Don't count on it." Dyson snapped with loathing.

"We have to try. As soon as the warrant comes across my phone, we'll check those cameras, and bring the entire police department in to search if we have to."

Dyson nodded in agreement. "Let's do this."

At the same time, Tamsin crouched down next to Lauren to look at her face. "Are you okay, Lewis? Do you need a glass of water or anything?"

No, Lauren wanted to shout but didn't. Not wanting to be dominated by her fear, Lauren reached outside herself for the fortitude and pulled herself upright. She was scared. She'd never deny that. But she also knew Bo was smart, resourceful. Rather than obsess about what could happen to Bo, she took a step forward, and then another, following the three cops back into the mansion. She held on tightly to Bo's ring, a symbol, of what mattered most to her. Her wife.

XXXXX

Bo rubbed her thumb over the bruise forming on her temple. She processed her situation, her foggy brain racing to catch up after the brutal hit. Pissed that she'd missed her chance to overtake him, Bo watched Doug. She noticed he was talking to himself and strained to hear him.

"Father will be so proud when I get rid of this trash." He muttered. "I'll prove to him I'm not a loser."

"So tell me something. I was right, wasn't I? Your daddy killed my father, right?" She asked over the pain shooting through her skull. She knew murderers like Doug tended to be an arrogant lot. They often wanted people to know what they had done so they could get the credit. And if Doug knew something, she got the sense that he was just itching to tell her how smart he thought he was. To brag. This man needed to boast; she'd felt that the last time she had dealt with him. And this time he didn't have a lawyer present to keep him quiet.

He shifted his attention to Bo. "Clayton Reed would never get his hands dirty like that." He spat out in her direction. "Not when he can have others do the work for him. My father always says it's a simple matter to find the right person with the right weakness. And so many people are walking around with weaknesses. I'm just sorry I was locked up and didn't get the pleasure of killing Harvey myself." He seemed almost ashamed as he said that.

Bo felt a brief flare of satisfaction at the news that her suspicions were correct. She just hoped she could get out alive to bring them all to justice. She spun her head around, searched the room for any possibility of escape. She needed a plan. The longer she waited, the worse her chances became.

Bo's cell phone vibrated, blaring in the quiet basement, making Bo jump slightly. "Oh look here. Lauren's calling." He said, silencing the phone. He began scrolling through her messages. Provoking Bo by reading Lauren's words out loud, and laughing as he did.

Imagining Lauren out there somewhere worrying about her broke her heart into a million pieces. She wanted to bawl thinking about how Lauren must be suffering over her disappearing. But she wasn't going to let Doug see her cry.

Desperate to do something, she made a decision. With Doug busy with her phone, Bo saw her chance. It was up to her. To save herself. No one would reach her in time. A focused calm fell over her, and her senses sharpened as adrenaline pumped into her.

Crouching down, she removed her high heels, quietly setting them aside. The shoes would slow her down and echo on the concrete floors. She slid out of the chair silently. As she inched away, she kept close to the ground with her eyes on the back of his head the entire time, hoping he wouldn't turn around before she managed to get away. Finally, she made a dash for it. Her head pounded with each step, but she kept going, diving for the protection behind the shelving in the back of the room. Doug was between her and the stairwell, and taking cover had been her best option until she could figure something else out.

Doug caught the movement and spun around. "Sit back down." He turned off Bo's phone and slipped it into his pocket. "You bitch, you think this is going to save you?" He was coming closer to where she hid. She heard the click of the safety being removed from the gun, an awfully threatening sound echoing around the basement.

Bo ducked down, using the shadows and the high shelves to hide her. "You have to know they'll be looking for me. My people have probably already started the search. You can't be this stupid." Bo called out, trying to distract him, rattle him enough to make a mistake.

The pop of the first shot made her dropped down to the ground. Crawling on her stomach, she searched around for anything she might use as a weapon. Shelves towered above, and she felt around under them. As she crawled along, her fingers closed around a two-foot-long metal bar, a fallen piece of shelving. It would have to do.

The second bullet slammed into the concrete floor just a few feet from her. She climbed to her feet, moving as quietly as she could away from him. She tried not to think about Lauren because she was afraid she might lose her composure. She needed to stay focused on Doug and try to figure out how to get away from him.

When she reached the edge of her cover, she heard his boots scuffing on the floor. Seconds away. She had only seconds left. She spun around, her mind whipped through her options. Shit damn hell, she muttered under her breath.

"Let's not drag this out, Detective." He was coming closer, his voice getting louder. "I've got other things to do."

Doug squeezed off another shot. Bo felt the whiz of the bullet speed past her head above her ear, barely missing her. Her ears ringing from the blast, Bo braced herself against the shelving. She knew her luck was running out and she needed to act.

In the rush of the moment, she didn't have a chance to think anything over, to reason anything out. She simply followed her instincts and threw her full weight against the shelf. The structure swayed. She pushed harder then pulled back, hoping that rocking it would work. It took her three tries, and on her next push the shelf toppled over.

The crash took Doug by surprise, and his next shot went wide. Bo swung from her cover, her fingers curled tightly around the metal rod, her muscles bunched and she threw it at him as hard as she could. Running on pure nerve, she dove toward his body at the same time.

Instinct made Doug bring his hand up to protect his face, and then Bo's head connected with his stomach. The next moment they went down in a tangled heap, the gun skittered out of reach.

Bo whacked Doug with her elbow in the mouth before he flipped her over and had his hands around her throat. The pressure on her windpipe was overwhelming, her lungs burned and her eyes watered as she struggled against him. She fought not to give in to the darkness creeping in on her vision.

Bo forced herself to chase back the fog and went for his eyes without hesitation. She jammed her thumbs in as hard as she could. Doug's head snapped back, an angry howl parting his lips. She refilled her lungs with glorious air and with all the force she could muster she kicked her feet up, caught him in the chest and sent him tumbling backward onto his backside.

Bo rolled sideways and scrambled forward onto her stomach and lunged for the gun. Grabbing the weapon with her fingers, she spun around and pointed it at him. "Freeze. I've got you, asshole!"

On his knees in front of Bo, Doug cursed loudly and ran the back of his hand across his lower lip, smearing blood as he did.

Slowly, Bo dragged herself to her feet but kept the gun on Doug. Her breath came in pants like she'd sprinted a mile. Her makeup was smeared, somehow her dress had gotten torn, and her hair a tangled mess. She felt slightly dizzy from her headache. Forcing it back, Bo centered herself.

"Hands!" Bo hollered before Doug could go for his pocket. "Keep your hands where I can see them. Move another muscle, and I'll pull the trigger. It's over Doug. You're going to live the rest of your pointless, stupid, miserable life in a cage."

For half a second, Doug's face fell. "My father…"

"Your father will be joining you in prison," Bo replied coolly.

"No jury will convict me. I'm not stupid." Bright red blotches stained his face, ran down to his neck. "I'm smarter than you, smarter than most people. I've proved it many times like when I followed your bitch wife, and sister without being seen. I know how to make people see what I want them to see."

Everything clicked into place in Bo's mind. "You sent those pictures. You were following and threatening my family?" The question fell from Bo's lips in a harsh bark.

"You got it." Doug grinned as if they were playing a schoolyard game. "I wanted to take my time with my revenge. But then you stupid female ruined everything. You needed a warning. When we learned you were asking questions about Harvey Dennis, I took action to protect my family."

It was him. Doug had been following her wife and sister. Violent thoughts swamped her mind, each one more extreme than the last. The rage built inside her, the pressure increasing and fighting for release. She curled her fingers tightly around the gun, her muscles vibrating with the effort to stay in control.

Doug slowly rose to his feet, and Bo widened her stance and kept the weapon on him.

"Please, just give me a reason to shoot, you fuck."

"The doctor do-gooder sure is a hot little thing." He winked at Bo, making her inch closer to him. "She reminds me of my…well, you've seen the pictures. You know she's my type."

Bo's stomach recoiled as the death photos of each of his victims flipped through her mind like a horror movie. Bo surged toward him. "What did you say?" She shouted in his face, and then pulled her arm back. She raised her curled hand and nailed Doug's face with her fist. Hard.

She wasn't sorry when he squealed and fell back onto his ass.

"Don't fucking talk about Lauren," Bo snarled, she was on a razor's edge with her control.

Sneering up at her, fresh blood gushed from his busted lip. "You have such a lovely wife. I should have taken the doctor when I had the chance. Made her submit to me like a good little female…like the others." He punctuated his words with the kind of nasty laugh that made Bo's body shake with rage. "I've thought of her. Dreamed of all the things I would do to her. And when I get out of here I intend to give it to her….a number of times." For a split second, he closed his eyes and his features softened into an almost dreamlike state. "She'll be my special reward."

Bo stared down at him. The red rage roared through her in a tide, clouding her clarity, and punching through the wall of her control. The world around her ceased, and something cold and hollow filled her chest. Disgust and repulsion. In her gut a ball of deep hatred formed so hard and bitter, it burned.

Everything went eerily silent. The only sound Bo was aware of was the roaring of blood in her ears. In that moment, her mind was focused on a single thought: she wanted this vile man dead. He deserved to die, and she wanted to shoot him with her own hands. In the next instant, the barrel of her gun was shoved right against Doug's head. Dead center in the middle of his forehead. Silently, looking into his eyes, she dug the gun deeper into his forehead with her finger squeezing the trigger.

XXXXXX

A heartbeat later, Bo caught the sharp squeal of metal on metal as someone broke the lock on the basement door and wrenched it open.

Pull the trigger. The dark temptation whispered through Bo's mind. One quick squeeze, and everything would be over. It would be so easy.

"Want to blow my brains out, don't you." Doug whispered to her as footsteps clanked down the metal stairs into the basement.

It took everything Bo had to resist the urge to pull the trigger and end him. But she didn't do it. Rather, she stepped back and waited the few seconds it took for the police officers to swarm into the basement with their weapons drawn.

"Freeze," All the cops called out in unison. "Hands in the air!"

Doug's head spun around to find five guns aimed at him, including the weapon in Bo's hand, which was still aimed at his head.

Bo didn't relax her stance as she watched it all happen with a detached sense of relief and disbelief. It only took a matter of seconds before Hale, and his backup were on Doug, pushing his face to the ground. "Doug Reed, you're under arrest on the charge of attempted murder and kidnapping of a police officer, and all sorts of additional charges. You have the right to remain silent."

Doug let out a cry of pain as Hale anchored his hands behind his back to slap the cuffs on his wrists. "Get off me, leave me alone." He cried, as he yanked at handcuffs that were not about to give way. "Ow! Police brutality! Someone help me! I demand help!"

"Close call, boss," Dyson's voice from the stairwell made Bo jolt. She turned to see him standing there, solemn, arms folded over his chest.

"You look like hell," Tamsin added, joining Dyson on the stairs.

Bo shrugged, trying to make light of it. "It hasn't been one of my better days."

"Is she alive?" The voice Bo recognized in the depths of her heart called from the stairs. Upon hearing Lauren's voice, something inside Bo simultaneously swelled and crumbled. She let the weapon slip from her grip while she bent down.

"I'm fine," Bo yelled back just as Lauren appeared behind Tamsin.

When their eyes met, Lauren's hands flew up to cover her mouth and nose. Then she dropped her hands, and pushed past Dyson and Tamsin. Nothing mattered more to Lauren than getting to Bo as fast as she could. Seconds later, Lauren was in the basement and in Bo's arms, saying her name over and over. Despite the lingering pain in her body, Bo wrapped her arms around Lauren, and whispered soothing words as Lauren trembled in her embrace.

Lauren's arms were tight around Bo's shoulders, her lips against her ear. "Tell me you're all right." The iron grip she'd managed to keep on her emotions broke. Although she tried hard not to, a never-ending stream of tears ran down Lauren's face, and she pressed into the warmth of Bo's face.

Bo expelled a breath, and practically sagged in Lauren's arms. "I am now. I'm so sorry to put you through this." Her lips moved over Lauren's hair, dotting kisses wherever she could reach.

"It's not your fault, Bo, so don't go there."

Yeah, it was, but Bo knew arguing with Lauren was an effort in futility. She had walked into a trap and been a second away from shooting an unarmed person. She wondered what kind of person that made her. What kind of cop that made her. She clung to Lauren and she made no move to let her go. Bo needed her strength and the comfort she gave. She was so grateful to be alive, to have Lauren in her arms.

Lauren held on to Bo for a long time before she pulled back to look her over. She scanned Bo's face, her arms, her legs, checking for any harm. But she appeared fine, despite the medley of bruises on her neck and face. She lightly touched the spot on Bo's temple were a welt had formed. "You're hurt. I hate that someone hurt you." Her breath tore. Her voice broke. "Again."

With her thumb, Bo wiped the tears from Lauren's face. "It's fine. My wife's a doctor; she'll take care of me. I'll let her look me over for as long as she wants at home."

Relieved that Bo's sense of humor was intact despite what had to have been an awful ordeal for her, Lauren pressed her lips to the swelling on Bo's temple. "We should go to the hospital and get you looked over. Head injuries can be very precarious."

"I'm fine. Just banged up a bit. And if we're looking at the bright side, one less enemy to contend with." Bo allowed a hint of a smile to show as she tried to lighten the mood for Lauren.

Lauren wiped at the smudged mascara beneath Bo's eyes and then kissed the spot. She just wanted to keep kissing Bo. It helped her brain believe that Bo was indeed okay and in front of her. "The bright side is you're safe in my arms. Nothing else matters right now."

From the corner of her eyes, Bo could see as Hale yanked Doug to his feet, and Dyson grabbed his other arm. "Let's take this piece of rancid garbage down to the precinct. I can't wait for the media to wonder why Clayton Reed's son is in custody, again."

Tamsin laughed, gripping Doug's other arm after Hale had stepped back. "Yeah, you in handcuffs will be all over the news for weeks. It'll be awesome."

Dyson and Tamsin pushed Doug up the metal stairs as he screamed and squealed like the pig he was. While part of Bo wished she'd killed him, the other part of her took pleasure in knowing he would be back in jail. And this time, there was no way in hell he'd be granted bail. She also hoped that he would roll on his father and they would be able to take Clayton down as well. Not likely but she could still hope.

Hale instructed the officers to start locking down the scene. When he was done giving orders, he walked over to Bo and Lauren. "I've got more officers on the way to search Doug's room, and a warrant to confiscate any and all evidence. We'll document everything, down to the last fleck of dust."

Bo didn't let go of Lauren while she gave Hale a brief run down of what had taken place with Doug. As Lauren listened to the events, she shuddered at the realization of what could've happened. Unbidden, a flood of images bombarded her, all the terrible things that might have happened to Bo. She gave herself a mental shake, locking those thoughts away, and tightened her hold on Bo.

After Hale had absorbed all the information Bo had given him, he said, "I'll need you at the station to fill out more detailed reports."

"Yes, sir," Bo answered with a head nod. "And I want to be there when you question Doug. I think I can get him to turn on Clayton. He admitted to me his father was behind Harvey's death."

"If all that's true. We've got a powder keg on our hands." Hale crossed his arms, and skidded his eyes around the basement. "You know I have to call this into the Feds, but I'll give you 72 hours first."

"I appreciate that." Bo said, grateful for the chance to question Doug without the FBI around.

"You've earned the opportunity," Hale said, his pride evident in his affectionate gaze. "You're the detective best suited to put this whole thing to rest." He gave Bo a gentle pat on the back. "I'm proud of you, Bo. You didn't give up. All of this came to light because you kept asking questions."

Bo gave him a shaky smile. The praise stung. "Thank you." She said, unenthusiastically. She didn't feel proud of herself about how it all had happened. It had been luck and not much else. But it wasn't the time to argue the point.

"Take a day and have a doctor check you out, then come down to the station tomorrow." Hale walked away from the pair to get to work with the rest of the team.

Lauren removed Bo's ring off her finger; she had placed it next to hers for safekeeping. She held Bo's hand and slipped on the ring. "I think you dropped something." She whispered before kissing the ring that was back in its rightful place.

They kept their voices whispered so their conversation wouldn't be overheard. Luckily the team was busy, and it made it easy to keep their words private. Between them, and no one else.

"I think it's finally over."

Lauren burrowed into the space between Bo's head and shoulder. "I hope you're right." She breathed in the scent of Bo greedily. "Ready to go?" Her hand drifted down Bo's back before settling at the base of her spine, reassurance in her touch.

Bo moved her head, so she was speaking directly into Lauren's ear. "Yes, but I just need to hold you for another minute. I just need a moment. I need the quiet. You and the quiet."

"Absolutely fine with me."

Bo smiled with happiness and gratitude for Lauren, for the second, third, fourth chance she'd been given and all the beautiful things in her life. "I love you so much," Bo whispered as tears started to fill her eyes. "So damn much."

Lauren slid her hands down Bo's arm and took her hand. She felt the shape of Bo's wedding ring against her palm. "Would you mind repeating that?"

Bo gave a low chuckle as she said, "I love you, Lauren." She gathered Lauren even closer for a slow, thorough kiss.

Bo wanted to ask how they'd found her, but she couldn't be bothered caring about any of it. They'd have plenty of time to talk it all through later. In light of what they'd been through that day, she decided they deserved a few minutes of peace before they got back to the real world. She was back in Lauren's arms, and she didn't care about anything else but her.

 **XXXXXX**

 **AN**

 **Sorry about the heavy chapter.**

 **The rest of the answers are coming next chapter.**

 **Thanks for reading and reviewing.**


	14. Chapter 14

By the time the doctors were done with Bo, she felt tired, sore, and grumpy. Lauren never left her side for a second, holding her hand, and asking her doctors a series of questions, and follow up questions. Though she desperately wanted to go home to her own bed, they kept her for the night for observation after a CT scan had revealed she had a concussion from the blow to her head.

When Bo opened her eyes hours later, there was no light shining through the hospital window. She rubbed her fingers over her forehead, her head still pounding as the concussion, they called minor, was making a major statement. Struggling to see past the pain, she slowly turned her head, finding that she wasn't alone. The sight of Lauren asleep against the chair, her lips parted slightly, her luxuriously soft hair covering part of her face, made Bo smile from the inside out. There was her perfect dream. Right there. Just looking at Lauren made the pain lessened to a more tolerable level, if only because it took her mind off the aching in her skull.

"Lauren."

Lauren jerked her head up, alert the second she heard Bo speak. "I'm here." She linked her fingers with Bo's and brought her hand to her lips. "I'm right here."

"Come closer."

"How much closer?" Lauren asked as she bent over her.

As Lauren smiled down at her, she'd never looked more beautiful. Bo hooked a finger into the waistband of the scrubs Lauren had changed into and gently tugged. "Lay down with me. I don't want to sleep without you."

After hearing that, nothing could keep Lauren from getting into that bed. She very carefully eased herself down on her right side and rested her hand around Bo's middle. She had been through such a wild range of emotions that evening, and it was nice to be tucked quietly in Bo's arms. They'd both been through hell that day, Bo receiving the worst of it, but at least they were able to be alone together. The outside world would always tug at them, and that's why moments of peace and quiet were so important for them.

Bo squirmed against Lauren, trying to get comfortable and closer to her. "I want to go home. This bed is stiff as a board." She grumbled, with an exaggerated pout. "Please, go ask the doctor to discharge me. Use some of your fancy doctor talk to convince him."

"You need to allow your brain to rest; it helps it recover. You have a concussion."

The shrug from Bo was casual as well as dismissive. "I feel a lot better. Let me go home."

"Bo, head injuries should be taken very seriously. Although you only have a minor concussion and seem to be fine, it can escalate over time, so you need to be monitored. It's a necessary precaution." Lauren explained, raising her eyebrows as she waited for Bo to object to her summation.

Bo withheld a groan at the thought of spending the whole night in the hospital when all she wanted to do was crawl into her own bed with Lauren. "Well, I have my very own doctor at home. What I need is some TLC from my wife. Staying here is pointless." She protested with a scowl.

Lauren laughed lightly at Bo's obvious displeasure. "You're not invincible, you know."

"Shh...I'm trying to keep that fact under wraps." Bo made an effort to keep her tone light even though she was burdened by what had happened in the basement with Doug.

"It's just for the night," Lauren told her patiently. "Why don't you try to go back to sleep?" She wiped the hair back from her forehead, tucked it behind Bo's ear and pressed her palm into Bo's cheek.

Bo wanted to sigh from the sweet pleasure of Lauren's caress. The gesture was both tender and intimate. Even with her head aching, she couldn't get enough of Lauren's touch.

"I don't want to sleep," Bo whispered against her cheek, making Lauren grin. "I want to feel you and smell you and listen to your voice."

"I'll be right here. I won't leave you for a second."

Bo glanced around the room as she stroked Lauren's arm, enjoying the smooth, silky feel of her skin while her mind wandered. "How many times have we done this?"

Lauren knew what Bo was asking, and said, "Three or four, maybe more." Her voice dropped after a long exhale. "I don't know why people keep trying to take you away from me."

Lauren's words went right to Bo's heart, and her body heated up with guilt and shame over what she'd put Lauren through. "It will take much more than a lunatic in a smelly basement to take me away from you." She said with more bravado than she felt. In truth, her confidence was shaken with how things had played out.

Lauren closed her eyes, taking a few breaths to fight through the emotional reaction their conversation had stirred in her.

In the silence that followed, Bo looked Lauren over. The woman was incredible. Gentle, serene, yet tough, all wrapped up in an elegant package. It was amazing to Bo that she was able to cope with the stress and uncertainty of being married to someone in law enforcement. Especially with all the close calls Bo had over the course of her career. But Lauren had withstood all that, and it was a wonder she could function. Bo couldn't help but admire her, for her resilience, for her quiet strength. But it all had to be hard on her, and she wondered if Lauren was just putting up a good strong front at the moment. That she was more upset than she was letting on.

Bo held onto Lauren, absorbing the feel of her. After a few minutes, her grip relaxed, and she said, "I want to go to Hawaii for our next anniversary."

Lauren chuckled softly at the sudden declaration. "We'll do that. We'll do everything you want. We'll have thousands of days to do whatever we want."

Unexpectedly, Bo's thoughts veered back and settled once again on the events in the basement. "So how did you guys find me?"

"We can talk about it tomorrow when you're feeling better."

"I can't go back to sleep, yet. I want to know."

Lauren could tell Bo to rest until she was blue in the face, but it wouldn't change the outcome. Once she put her mind to something, Bo wouldn't let go, and she'd learned that many times. With that in mind, she decided to give Bo a brief summary of the events. "When we discovered you were missing Hale was able to get a search warrant. And he caught a glimpse of you with Doug on one of the hallway cameras being taken to the basement. And, well, that's when they found you."

What would have happened if they'd not gotten there when they did? She would have killed Doug. She didn't doubt that she would have done it. That discovery left her unsettled, and her stomach rolled at the thought. It was one thing to open fire as a cop to protect herself or someone else, but to shoot an unarmed perp; that was a different matter entirely.

Bo stared at Lauren with tormented eyes. "It tears me up that you had to go through that. I should have never left your side. I walked right into a trap." She grew quiet for a pause; the self-condemnation was like knives through her heart. "I'm sorry for all the ways I've made you worry about me and let you down…"

Lauren's mouth crashed hard on hers, stealing the words, the thoughts.

Her words tore Lauren apart, and she hated that she was blaming herself. There were so many things she wished they could go back and redo, one of them being not separating during the event. Maybe her presence could have prevented the events entirely. But getting wrapped up in the blame game wasn't going to do either of them any good. Ultimately, only one person was responsible for what had happened.

When Lauren eased back, she traced her thumb over Bo's cheekbones, wishing she could take away all the hurt both inside and out. "Please don't blame yourself for what someone else did. I hate when you act like some superheroine and charge into dangerous situations. But you're the victim here."

Bo lifted one shoulder, the set of her jaw told Lauren that she didn't agree. She felt Bo stiffen next to her, and then her gaze riveted to the ceiling for a brief second.

"Tell me what's happening in that mind of yours," Lauren whispered, playing with a lock of Bo's hair.

The next words were difficult for Bo, but it needed to be said. Lauren needed the truth about what happened. "I almost killed Doug," Bo said in a voice that sounded wooden with detachment.

"He kidnapped you. You were only protecting yourself." Lauren stated as she flicked her soft brown eyes over Bo's face with a thoughtful frown.

Bo couldn't bear to see the compassion and devotion in Lauren's beautiful eyes, so she looked away. In a rush of words, she said, "No. After I got the gun away from him. I almost shot him because he said some things about you. I almost killed an unarmed man."

Lauren swallowed hard at that revelation. "But you didn't."

"I would have. If you all hadn't come in, and stopped me. I would have shot him, dead." Bo closed her eyes briefly, trying to distance herself from what she had felt at that moment. The hatred. It had been so strong, so powerful. It terrified her.

"Bo," Lauren whispered, looking pained. "It's…"

"I stopped thinking. I wanted him dead for threatening you. He baited me, and I took it so easily. I'm a cop. I know better than to let a perp get to me, but…I wasn't strong enough…."

Bo cut herself off and turned back to Lauren, looking to her as though she hoped Lauren had the words that would make everything all better.

"It had nothing to do with you not being strong enough. You're only human." Lauren traced the frown lines on Bo's forehead, smoothing her scowl. "This will take time to process, to understand. But I think you're going to be okay." She pressed her lips to Bo's brow, her temple. "As long as you don't bottle it all up until it eats you from the inside out. It's all going to be okay. Eventually."

With Lauren, Bo could slide so easily out of the misery of the brutal world and into a happy and peaceful place. She shut her eyes as Lauren continued stroking her skin with her fingers and lips. "I only believe that because you're always right."

XXXXXX

Two days later, a late-summer storm bashed against Hale's single window as Bo sat in his office. He ran through the events, top to bottom, without any interruption from Bo. The day before when they had tried to interrogate Doug, he had lawyered up and refused to speak with them about Clayton's involvement. They hadn't gotten anywhere with him.

"Our team went through every inch of Doug's bedroom, and they recovered the pictures of Lauren and Kenzi on his computer. Looks like he was the stalker after all."

"Asshole," Bo said through gritted teeth. It made her truly sick to think she had endangered Lauren and Kenzi just by asking questions about her father.

Hale's pleasant eyes studied her intently. "At least they're both safe now, and he's off the streets. Because of you."

Bo shifted uncomfortably. Of course, she was happy about the threat being gone. She wanted to feel a sense of accomplishment. Satisfaction. But all she felt was regret about how things could have turned out differently for her. She had been lucky, and nothing else. She could have died in that basement. She knew that. She'd let her guard down too far, and hadn't taken the situation seriously enough and walked right into Doug's hands. The whole thing left her outright embarrassed, and ashamed. It all made her start to seriously question her judgment as a cop. But she didn't have time to parse through regrets and what ifs. She still needed to do her job. She could feel they were close to getting all the answers. They just needed the final pieces to the puzzle.

Hale seemed surprised by Bo's reaction but didn't ask her what was on her mind. Instead, he said, "The DA plans to offer Doug a deal. For the new charges as well as the others. The DA doesn't want to go through another long, public trial."

A look of complete outrage flashed across Bo's face. "What's the deal?"

"Life, no parole. Doug is done, and he knows it. He'll take the deal I'm sure of it. And then he'll spend the rest of his life rotting in prison."

Bo gazed past Hale and watched the rain hitting the window. She didn't really want to go through another trial with Doug, but still the outcome kind of irked her.

"Officers picked up Paris Reed, and they've moved her into the interrogation room. If she talks, we'll offer her leniency on her involvement in exchange for information about her father."

Bo put her hands behind her head and shut her eyes as she gathered her thoughts. If she couldn't get to Clayton through Doug, she'd get to him through his daughter. The whole thing left her sick, in the heart, in the stomach, and she was working herself right towards pissed. But maybe that was better; she worked better pissed.

"While you conduct the interview, I'll watch from the observation room." Hale rose from his desk, came around it, and took Bo's hand, shook it. "Great work out there. If you hadn't taken the extra steps you did, the truth would never have come out."

Bo was glad that Hale felt good about it, but nothing anyone said could make her feel proud or satisfied about the events that had led them there.

Rolling her shoulders, Bo prepared to do battle. "Well, here goes nothing." She pushed to her feet.

"Good luck."

With a decisive head nod, Bo swung the door open and exited the office.

XXXXX

Bo headed toward the interrogation room. With supplies in hand, she entered the room with slow, determined steps. The heels of her boots clicked softly on the floor as she made way toward the table.

Paris Reed leaped to her feet. "I don't know why I'm here. What's happening?"

Slowly, Bo took a seat and sat a glass of water on the table. "You have suspended your right for counsel? Is that correct?"

Paris crossed her arms, hugging herself as she circled the small room. "For the moment, yes. I didn't do anything. Why do I need a lawyer? Why am I here?"

Bo pretended to gaze intently into the file she had carried into the room with her for several seconds. "We have a few questions for you," She said giving her the biggest and friendliest smile she could put on her face.

"About what? I was hauled out of the airport, like a common criminal. I was humiliated in front of hundreds of people. This is mortifying." Paris turned her head away, stared at the wall like a petulant child.

Bo sat back in her chair. "Sorry about that, but it was important that we spoke with you as soon as possible. Please have a seat."

Bo waited as Paris sat opposite her, gingerly, on the edge of the seat. "I know who you are. Bo Dennis." She looked at Bo for a long moment, sizing her up, and Bo matched her gaze and did the same. "Is this about my brother? I have nothing to do with his crimes. I don't know anything."

Instead of answering her questions, Bo asked, "Do I have permission to record this interview?"

Huffing, Paris slumped back into her chair. "If you must."

Bo turned on the recorder and noted for the record who was in the room and why. And then, she pulled a photograph from the manila file she had brought with her and placed it on the table. She decided to dive right into the center of the matter.

Paris' gaze darted down to the photo, then right back to Bo's. "So what?"

"Rainer. Right here." Bo nudged the photo closer to her. "What's your relationship with him?"

"He was a friend of mine." Paris paused, sipped the water Bo had sat on the table. Though her hand stayed steady, her breath shuddered out before she spoke again. "He was my first love."

"We have proof that you were meeting with him," Bo stated, pulling out another photo they had taken from the security feed at the Reed's campaign office. Once Doug had been arrested, they had gotten the warrant for it. "Recently."

Paris pressed her lips together and didn't speak.

Bo leaned forward, elbows on the table. Paris was acting so smug and entitled, and if she wasn't going to pony up on her own, Bo would help her along.

"You need to understand, Paris, we're just giving you a chance to help yourself now. Withholding relevant information from a murder investigation is a serious crime, and if you don't tell us what you know, it's unlikely you'll escape jail time. When your brother kidnapped me, he admitted that your father was involved in Senator Dennis' death. But he refuses to testify or make an official statement." She paused a beat to let Paris absorb her situation, and then added, "We've got one hell of a mess here, and I can help you. But only if you're straight with me about what you know."

Her expression rife with indignation, Paris turned snippy, "You're a perfect woman, aren't you? No mistakes in your life? No regrets?"

Leaning back again, Bo drummed her fingers on the table. "Plenty of them. Nobody gets through life without messing up." Her fingers stilled on the table. "But the only way to make up for those wrongs is to be honest about it. And hopefully, grow up and get a little wiser."

If looks could kill, Bo would've been a goner, but she kept her cool as Paris seemed incensed by her response.

Paris threw her hair back over her shoulders. "What do you want to know?"

"We need you on record about who was behind the whole scheme. What do you know about who gave the orders, pulled the strings. We want to know it all." Bo treated her to her most intimidating cop stare. "Start with why were you meeting with Rainer in secret?"

Paris hung her head and was quiet for a long time. "Rainer loved me." She said, her voice barely a whisper. "It was real. We were real."

This woman had some serious guilt about something. Bo picked up on that very quickly. "What was Rainer and your role in this whole thing?" She urged her on.

Paris lost some of her initial confidence and looked more like a scared kid as she looked up at Bo. "I didn't think it would go this far," She said, regretfully. "It was just supposed to be information being passed along."

Now she was finally getting somewhere. Bo perked up a little as she asked. "What information?"

"My father, Clayton Reed, he wanted me to dig up damaging information on Harvey Dennis. He wanted the skeletons. To ruin Harvey before the election." Paris faltered and again dropped her head. "My father figured if he could buy off Rainer, he'd be privy to whatever he wanted. But he didn't bite when I first approached him. He was loyal to your father." She glanced up at the ceiling, drawing a breath. "But Harvey's lawyer did."

Bo knew her whole body had tensed hearing that news. "What did Fitzpatrick tell you?"

Paris' lips twisted in a humorless smile. "The sad truth is everyone has a price. It only took a small bribe and a bit of feminine charm, and he told me what I needed to know."

"Which was?"

"He told me that years before he had helped Harvey Dennis cover up his involvement in a car accident, which killed his wife. I guess Harvey was driving the car when the incident occurred. He called Fitzpatrick, instead of the police, and they made it look like she was alone."

The words sank in, slowly at first, and then flooded her. Her father had been betrayed, sold out, by an old friend and confidant. She swallowed against the disgust that had settled in her throat, but stayed quiet and let her continue.

"That scandal would have ruined him for sure. How do you think that information would play out in the press? No amount of spin could have gotten him out of that. My father would have been elected without so much as breaking a sweat."

"Then what happened?" Bo pressed her onwards.

Paris glanced around the room, and nerves showed as she twisted the chain she wore around her neck. "I realized that Harvey would probably pay to keep that information under wraps, so I withheld what I'd learned from my father. I went to Rainer with the information and blackmailed him behind my father's back." Her eyes shot to Bo like a scared animal. "I wanted out from under my dad's rule. I wanted a new life. This was my only chance."

"So Rainer embezzled Harvey's money and gave it to you? To keep you from releasing the information about the accident. Is that right?" Bo said to clarify what she was being told.

Paris nodded. "Rainer just wanted to keep the information out of the public eye. He figured if he could get your father elected they could deal with rebuilding his fortune later." Her chin trembled, slightly. "It pained him to steal from your father, but he was just trying to protect him."

Bo guffawed. "How noble," She said, with an eye roll. Bo was getting more and more upset thinking about her father being betrayed by people he trusted, and probably loved. "When did things start to go south?" She asked, flipping back into professional mode.

Paris huffed out a breath and sat back. "My personal life is personal."

With thinning patience, Bo's eyes remained firm and flat on her. "Were you romantically involved with Rainer?"

Under Bo's stare, Paris ran her tongue around her lips a few times. "Okay, okay. Rainer and I began meeting in secret, spending a lot of time together. We fell back in love over time." Her voice trembled, then she steadied it. "And we planned to run away together with the money. My father never approved of my relationship with Rainer. He forced us apart when we were teenagers. He would never have allowed us to be together."

A series of heated retorts popped into Bo's head. She tried to ignore all but tossed out. "You're an adult. Suck it up if daddy doesn't approve of your boyfriend."

Paris scoffed at that and folded her arms defensively across her body. "When my mother divorced him, she ended up with nothing. Disgraced and cast aside. He even forbade us to speak to her, or we'd lose our inheritance. I would have ended up with nothing if I went against his wishes."

Bo felt her temper give way, and she slapped her hand on the table, making Paris startle. "There's more important things in the world than money."

"Would you give up millions of dollars," Paris yelled, her blue eyes flashing with anger. Her fair skin flushed under her makeup. "And the only life you've ever known for love?"

"In a second. It wouldn't even be a hard choice for me." Bo ran her thumb over her wedding ring as she spoke, thinking of Lauren.

Trembling with rage, Paris pushed back the chair and stood up. Bo tracked her movements as she circled the small room a few times. "Well, that's great for you, but I needed the money for protection from my father!" She defended herself crazily, flailing her arms up over her head. "He would have killed Rainer and I if he found out about us. We needed the money so we could run away together. To stay safe." She sank back against the wall and sighed. "You don't know him. He's a miserable, twisted, sadistic bastard."

Bo pinched the bridge of her nose, hoping to find some relief from a headache that was throbbing behind her eyes. "And your plan came crashing down when my father figured out his money was gone?" She made a determined effort to use a friendlier voice and remain cool-headed to get them back on track.

With great reluctance, Paris returned to her seat, her body tense, and her hands clasped together. "Yes. Harvey found out about the missing money and his liquidated assets and asked Rainer about it. You have to understand that Harvey was like a father to Rainer. He loved your father. It must have been so hard on him when Harvey discovered his deception."

"Did he tell Harvey the truth? About you blackmailing him?" Bo asked, working hard to contain her fury at the suggestion that Rainer cared for her father.

Paris wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt much like a little kid might. "No. He lied and told him my father was behind everything. He was trying to conceal my involvement, I guess. To protect me."

Intrigued, Bo puzzled over the new information. "So, the night Harvey died he went to Clayton. To confront him about the blackmailing."

"Yes, Rainer and Harvey showed up alone at my father's estate. Harvey started accusing him of things, and it got very heated." Paris fumbled over her words, wiping her face again. "I was so freaked out that I had to tell my father the truth. I had to. But then Harvey threatened to go to the media, to out my family, and my father couldn't have that."

Bo's jaw clenched, starting to get a clearer picture of the Reed family and Rainer. "So he killed him?"

A look of sadness, regret crossed her face as Paris slowly shook her head. "No. He ordered his security guards to do it. He saw your father as a threat to his empire and took action. No way was he going to let him deny him the chance of becoming a senator."

"How?" Bo demanded with a whiplash in her voice.

Paris bristled and didn't answer.

Bo tried to keep the harshness from her voice as she spoke again. "How did they kill him?"

Paris seemed frozen with indecision, and Bo gave her the time and silence she needed.

She seemed torn between deep sorrow and fear. The emotion left her face, and she wasn't looking directly at Bo. "They locked him in the groundskeeper's shed in the back of the estate and threw in a pipe bomb with some kind of chemical mixture. The gas kills when inhaled. It's used a lot in rural areas for suicides, and it's something my father has used many times for various enemies."

Bo swallowed hard and remembered Lauren's words. She had been right. Lauren had said certain common chemicals could be mixed to cause a heart attack. Her eyes fixed behind Paris's head as the scene played itself out in her imagination.

"Did my father suffer a long time?"

"I'm not sure," Paris said so softly it was almost inaudible.

That's probably how Harvey broke his fingernails, trying to get out of the shed, Bo thought with a shudder. "How did Harvey end up back at his estate?"

"Once it was over my father ordered Rainer to take the body in the limo. He told him the story should be Harvey suffered a heart attack while alone."

Bo measured her with a stare but didn't outwardly react to her words. Inside, anger boiled in her gut. The natural reaction of hearing all that was anger, sadness, but so was the need for justice for her father. Closure and all that. But she would have to wait to process it all later. It wasn't the time. "If Rainer cared for my father, why did he agree to such a thing?" She was still trying to understand.

"He'd do anything for me. We wanted to run away so that we could be together. The only way was to follow my father's orders. We had enough money, and new identities ready, so we could disappear, start over somewhere where my dad would never find us. Harvey Dennis was already dead; they was nothing we could do for him."

All they wanted was to go off and live large together, Bo thought, on a big pile of money stained with her father's blood. Disgusting. She clenched her jaw shut. No point in saying all the hateful things that ran through her mind. No point at all. "Where's Rainer now?"

Paris descended into brokenhearted sobs. "Dead." Her hand moved over her mouth and muffled her voice as she said, "We were supposed to meet a few days after everything settled down, but he never showed."

The heavy sobs escaping her twisted some pity out of Bo. She gave her a moment to collect herself and then asked, "How do you know he's dead?"

Paris looked up at Bo, heartbreak etched into her face. "My father showed me the pictures of him bound in the basement and bleeding. He told me I'd be next if I ever spoke about what happened." She forced out loud, hiccupping tears. "And I believed him. I just picked myself up and got on with my life. It's all I could do."

Bo hoped she looked unemotional instead of showing the absolute disgust she felt as she took it all in. She waited while Paris continued to wipe away tears.

"Did your father bribe the medical examiner?" Bo asked at length.

"As I told you everyone has a price," Paris said, her tear-strained face sagging a bit. "My father encouraged him to overlook some details."

"The FBI?"

Paris shook her head forcefully. "He didn't need to. They were eager to close the case quickly to avoid a scandal, and my father handed them everything they needed to do it. It looked like a heart attack, so why would they question that?"

Because it's their job, Bo thought but chose to keep those thoughts to herself.

"Let me ask you another question that's been bugging me for a while. Did your father blackmail the judge at Doug's trial? To cause the mistrial."

"Some men are weak. My father has a saying: it's a simple matter to find the right person with the right weakness." She said, echoing the words Doug had spoken to Bo in the basement. "My father's evil, my brother's evil. I guess it's in our blood."

Bo placed the photos back into the file and closed it slowly. "Blood doesn't always define you. Character does. We all have a choice about everything we do or don't do."

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry about your father. I didn't want him to get hurt. Honestly, I never intended for things to go this far." Paris stated as her eyes clouded over.

Bo rose as she clicked off the recording. "You made a lot of bad choices, and now you have to live with that for the rest of your life."

Her expression immediately morphed from grief-stricken to hostile. Paris looked away, and asked, "What happens now? To me."

"The DA will offer you a deal if you testify against your father." Bo planted her hands on the table, leaned over. "I suggest you take it. You and many others have paid a hell of a price for your greed. Try to remember that going forward."

Bo stood tall and glared down at the woman. Solving the mystery of her father's death had become like an obsession to Bo, but with the ending looming, Bo found herself deeply saddened by the outcome. She and Kenzi had still lost their father, and nothing would change that. It was a bittersweet victory, certainly, more bitter than sweet.

Paris let out a long, self-pitying sigh, and then caught Bo's eyes. "The money's not gone. Some of it, yes. There were expenses involved in planning my escape. But there's millions of dollars left untouched." She managed a small wallowing laugh. "I guess you are a rich woman now."

Bo rubbed the ring on her finger once more. "But, you see, I don't care about money, that's just one of the differences between you and me. I was already a very rich woman. In all the ways that really matter at least."

With that, Bo swung the door open and exited the room. As Bo walked away to join Hale in the next room, Paris rested her head on the table and wept bitter, bitter tears.

 **XXXXXX**

 **AN**

 **Next: Bo's birthday.**

 **Thanks for reading and reviewing.**


	15. Chapter 15

"I really don't want to be here," Bo complained, feeling claustrophobic and more than a little edgy.

"Bo."

She glanced up at Dr. Garcia, the police department therapist, who sat in his armchair and gazed intently at her. "Yes."

"You know this is procedure. You have to talk about what happened. So we can be certain you've dealt with the trauma of what you experienced and are in the right place mentally, and emotionally to continue working."

The last thing Bo wanted to do was sit in the small office and talk about the events in the basement and her feelings about it. She wanted to get back to work, to basically escape the doctor's stare. She didn't want to talk about things that couldn't be changed.

"What's there to talk about? I made a stupid decision and almost paid the price for it. Should I have gone off on my own? No. I know that. Really I knew it then, but I did it anyway. I can't defend myself because I don't have a defense." Bo shrugged and threw her arms up. "There. I talked. Happy?"

Dr. Garcia stared at her without blinking, patiently observing her.

Bo shifted in her seat, crossed her legs and then her arms. "Tell me what to say so that I can leave."

"Do you do that often?" He asked, his gaze narrowing. "Tell people what they want to hear to get out of tough situations."

Bo ignored that question and instead asked one of her own. "How can I prove to you that I'm okay?"

"You have to talk about it." He answered simply.

Bo glared at him and impatiently drummed her fingers on her arm.

"You've never been short on guts." He said, making his words a statement rather than a question. "In your career, you've shown that many times."

"I do have a bit of a reputation. But it's part of the job. Fear can get in the way."

"But sometimes fear can save your life."

Bo's lips pursed as she weighed that. "I suppose. I can be an impulsive woman. There have been a lot of moments in my life where I did the wrong thing, made the wrong choice."

"Personal or professional?"

"Both," Bo answered vaguely.

Bo glared at him for several seconds, and he stared back. He shifted his gaze and made some notes, and then prompted, "Tell me about your wife."

At the mention of Lauren, Bo's combative posture relaxed, and her gaze softened. "I'm married to the only person I've ever truly loved. In a romantic way at least. I know everyone says this about their partners, but for me it's true, she makes me want to be a better person, and I love her more than I love myself." She held back a smile as she spoke about Lauren. "She's human, got scars and flaws like everyone else, but to me she's perfect. I know exactly how lucky I am to have a woman like Lauren at my side, to have her walk with me through life. But I've put her through a lot." She exhaled, dancing her eyes around the room. "And….it's like there's always a part of me that feels like Lauren deserves better than me."

"Isn't that up to her to decide?"

After a moment, Bo nodded because he was right about that. "Or maybe, I still feel terrified that I might screw things up."

"So, when you feel as if you've made a mistake. You fear you might be going back to your old ways. And that might leak over into your relationship. Is that what you're feeling?"

Bo shrugged in response.

"Most people have a tendency to rise up or fall down to the expectations set by what they label themselves. If you label yourself a screw-up, it makes it hard for you to transcend it."

Bo thought over her response before giving in. "More than once, I've behaved selfishly, not thinking about the consequences of my actions. But I know I've turned around a lot of my more negative tendencies, but sometimes I fear backsliding into old patterns."

"You are more than the mistakes of the past. Your past will always be part of you, but it will never wholly define you. One day you'll have to decide you've punished yourself enough and forgive yourself."

By the determined gleam in his eyes, Bo had the feeling that she wouldn't be able to escape without giving the man something.

"Since that night," Bo said, haltingly. "I'm questioning my judgment as a cop, looking at what went wrong over and over again. When I'm alone, I go through every minute of that day, from when I woke up with my wife until Doug was arrested. Thinking and rethinking what I did wrong."

"And what do you believe you did wrong?"

"I could have done so many things differently." She ran her fingers through her hair, tucking the strands that had fallen from her ponytail behind her ears. "I wanted to kill Doug. I almost did just that." She said evenly, feeling the burn of hatred and humiliation in her stomach.

"So you think there's something wrong with you because you lost control?"

"It makes me wonder if I've lost what I need to be an effective cop." Bo shot back, annoyed by his questions.

"Do you still want to be a police officer?"

"Having my sister and wife threatened by a madman was one of my worst nightmares coming to life. I feel sick inside about everything."

"That isn't an answer to my question, and I think you know that."

"With my inheritance, I never have to work again," Bo said to avoid answering his question. In truth, the idea of her actually retiring at thirty was inconceivable. She was too dynamic and full of energy, she cared too much to never work again, and there was no way she would live her life relying on her father's money. "I have a shit ton of money, which I don't want, because someone killed my father."

"You resent wealth. Rich people." He stated, again it wasn't a question.

"I grew up with money, surrounded by rich brats. I guess maybe I was a rich brat when I was younger. But I never set out to have an easy life once I was on my own."

He cocked his head to one side, assessing her. "Having a well-off father you had to know, one day, you would inherit his wealth."

"I never wanted it. I don't believe my father worked hard, so that I didn't have to."

"There's no shame in wanting to create a life for yourself. And there's no reason you can't do that even if you have a large inheritance. The two are not mutually exclusive."

Bo tried to articulate her chaotic thoughts, but gave up quickly. "Yeah. I guess you're right." She said, wanting to move things along.

"So what do you want to do? You've been at the game for a while it's natural to start to feel disillusioned. There would certainly be no shame in deciding the job is no longer for you. But you have a passion for your work, and it could be difficult to walk away from it."

"Let's just say I've had thoughts about making a change for a while now, even before the basement incident. Truthfully? I don't think the job will ever be the same for me after this."

"That might be true. You've had an emotional few weeks. You lost your father, were kidnapped. This whole thing has touched your life in very personal ways. It's bound to leave its mark. And that's okay. But you can move on from it, wiser, more alert, more aware."

"I guess."

"You have excellent skills as a cop, Bo. You're smart, quick and courageous. But, I think it's fair to say, you sometimes push the envelope, take too many chances, and that can make you dangerous in the field."

"I always thought the one thing I had that was better than anyone else was my guts, my courage. My ability to push all limits." Bo paused and stared at her hands. "When I was younger I always broke the rules, tested the limits, just to piss people off. It felt good to do what others wouldn't."

"But now that you're older the stakes are higher and consequences last longer."

Bo nodded along with that comment. "What happened with Doug was a wake-up call. I can't deny that. I think some serious changes are needed."

Dr. Garcia made a few notes, and then checked his wristwatch. "That's good for today. When you're ready, make another appointment."

With the lure of freedom dangled in front of her, Bo began to stand.

"But before you go…"

Foiled, Bo slumped back into the chair and groaned.

"You lowered your guard. That's not a crime. It was a mistake."

"Could have been a tragic mistake." Bo pushed to her feet, towering over him. "I can't let myself off that easily. I let myself be played and I can't forget that."

He set his notepad aside and held Bo's gaze. "I hope, one day, you give yourself some of the credit for how things ended."

Despite the swell of emotion coming from her chest to her throat and the tears stinging her eyes, Bo said. "I don't want credit."

"You survived in that basement and took down a powerful family. That counts for something. Perspective is everything. And as hard as it is to believe now, you won't always feel the shame, regret as acutely as you do today."

Bo bowed her head, and then gave the floor a small smile. "That's something my wife would say."

"Take the time you need to make your decision. Talk to the people you trust and respect. If you freeze them out, you will regret it for the rest of your life. You might be blaming yourself, but those you love never will."

Bo's anger fizzled, leaving her reflective. He had given her a lot to think about. She reached out to shake his hand. "I'll think about it all. Thank you."

XXXXX

Under the hot spray of water, Bo sagged against Lauren, her head rolling back against her shoulder. Steam rose up as they stood in the cabin's outdoor shower on the deck. The lake sparkled behind them, and a light breeze whispered through the trees. The cool morning air against Bo's front contrasted with the heat between their bodies. The morning had taken an unseasonable turn towards cool, which made the hot shower outside all the more appealing.

The last few days of work had been challenging, and Bo's mind had been preoccupied with her conversation with Dr. Garcia, and all she wanted to do was relax and spend a few days with Lauren, having some fun and letting loose.

And at that moment, all she could feel and think about was Lauren. With the water running over her, Bo threw her head to the side. She kissed Lauren, her tongue teased Lauren's lips, sliding inside in a delicious kiss. Lauren gently squeezed her nipple with one hand as she moved her fingers inside her. Every movement had Bo moaning with pleasure inside Lauren's mouth. The time for coherent thought had more than passed. All she could do was cling to Lauren as she hurled her toward release.

Bo cupped the back of Lauren's head to keep her lips to hers, to intensify the connection, as her body clenched around Lauren's fingers. She kissed Lauren's lips, harshly, floating on a cloud of sensations for a minute.

As Lauren withdrew her fingers from between Bo's legs, Bo spun her around. Locking eyes with Lauren, she gripped her hips and pulled her close. Lauren's naked breasts crushed against Bo's, making them both grin. They began touching, tasting, moving against each other, driven by nothing but the sizzling connection between them.

Bo nibbled Lauren's ear before her mouth moved down over her neck, nipping, and sucking as she went. The water was hitting the back of Lauren's head, rolling down over her face, her neck, and shoulders. Instinctively, Lauren arched into Bo and strained, wanting the contact, needing her to touch her more.

Bo's mouth was working its way back up, her tongue leisurely skimming over her wet skin, tracing her jaw line. She paused a moment, and Lauren breathed hard and loud into her mouth. Then Bo caught her chin in her teeth as she slid a finger inside her, stroked, circled, stirring Lauren's arousal. Rubbing against her, she dragged her mouth to Lauren's neck and sucked her skin, her finger pushed in. Pulled out. Pushed in again. Soft pleading moans poured from her throat as Lauren pressed into her hand, seeking the pleasure she needed.

Their bodies joined together, and Bo's head rested on Lauren's shoulder while Lauren's hand tangled into Bo's hair, scratching her scalp. The soft, impassioned hitches in Lauren's breathing guided Bo's movements. Bo wanted Lauren to feel good. It's all she wanted at that moment. Not long after, Lauren's breathing picked up, and she squeezed her fingers tighter around Bo's hair. Feeling the effect she had on Lauren was painfully, undeniably erotic. She obeyed Lauren's silent request and added another finger and then another.

The pressure was building low in Lauren's stomach as Bo glided her fingers deeper and harder. With her lips pressed to Bo's ear, she moaned Bo's name in a husky, lust-filled voice. Over and over again.

Bo teased her with her thumb, massaging back and forth, finding the rhythm that brought Lauren right to the edge. Bo hit all the right spots, faster and harder than before and it felt so good that Lauren's head fell back. Tingly flashes burned beneath her skin, rushing over her body. Unlike most times Bo brought her to climax, she didn't draw it out, Bo increased the pressure, quickened her movements, and Lauren came undone.

When a happy sigh escaped with Lauren's breath, Bo brought her lips to meet hers, kissing her hotly. Lauren looped her arms around Bo, clinging to her as she kissed her back. Early morning orange light brightened around them, as they stood entwined, and the water running over them began to turn lukewarm.

Lauren was rubbing her naked wetness all over Bo's naked wetness, and it felt so damn good that Bo moaned. One of the things Bo enjoyed best about making love to Lauren was the way she always held her afterward, stroking her skin softly. She knew absolute contentment in the arms of the woman she loved, and she wanted it to last for as long as possible. But with the cool water rushing over them she knew they would be forced to stop soon.

Bo pulled back, and then covered Lauren's face, jaw, and shoulder with little butterfly kisses, making Lauren's body rock with laughter. She finished the exploration with her lips by pressing a kiss to Lauren's forehead. "I want to touch you everywhere. And for always."

"Deal."

Lauren smoothed her hand up and down Bo's back, down over the magnificent curve of her backside as they both indulged for a moment in mutual petting. Finally all the hot water was gone so Bo reached over to the hooks to grab Lauren's robe and the towels while Lauren turned off the water.

"I'm freezing." Lauren hopped from foot to foot with her arms wrapped close to her chest.

Bo smiled at Lauren standing, or bouncing there, naked and wet. She was adorable, but then she looked so cold that Bo felt bad so she tossed her the robe. Catching it with one hand, Lauren quickly cocooned herself into it.

"We really need to install one of these at our place," Bo said as she toweled herself down, and then fastened it around her body.

Lauren huffed a sharp chuckle. "I don't think our neighbors would appreciate that."

Fun and laughter were shining in Bo's eyes as she said, "I disagree. I think they would."

"Ha Ha." Lauren rolled her eyes, but she smiled. She always smiled at Bo's teasing.

"Come on," Bo looped her arm through Lauren's, "let's get inside."

XXXXX

They sprawled out on the couch later that afternoon. Both of them naked. Sunlight created large squares of light on the floor, but they weren't tempted to venture outside again. They were too busy kissing a lot, groping a little, teasing each other and talking to worry about the outside world.

At one point, Lauren picked up Bo's hand where it rested on her stomach and studied her fingers, holding them close to her face as she traced her knuckles. "I like your hands."

"Oh, babe, my hands really like you." Bo caught Lauren's eyes, her stare was dark with dirty thoughts.

Chuckling at Bo's response, Lauren stood and stretched, pulling her robe off the back of the couch before she wrapped it around her body.

Bo peered up at her, putting on big, sad puppy-dog eyes. "What are you doing? I'm not done touching you."

Leaning down, Lauren pecked her lips. "How about a drink."

Bo didn't have the chance to argue because Lauren spun around and walked into the kitchen.

Once in the next room, Lauren held up a bottle, and called out, "Some champagne."

Bo strode through the living room toward the kitchen completely naked, not at all self-conscious, and why should she be? Her body was gorgeous. For a long moment Lauren's gaze ran down Bo's sensuous body. "Wow." She breathed. "Your body should come with a warning label."

Bo laughed, walking toward her. They swapped stares, smiling at each other.

In an effort to distract herself from all her lusty thoughts, Lauren went to the cupboards for the glasses. But it didn't work. Bo took the bottle and popped the cork bringing her eyes back to Bo's bare body. Of course, her eyes were drawn right to her breasts. Her hair hung loose over them, and they lifted and fell with each breath.

Lauren sighed in appreciation of Bo's beautiful body before shaking herself out of her trance. "Want to take these out on the deck?" She asked, handing Bo the glasses. She shifted back to lean against the counter as Bo poured the champagne. "It's a beautiful day."

Bo came to stand in front of her, pressing herself seductively between Lauren's legs. She sat the glasses down and then put her hands on the counter on either side of her, caging her in. She leaned her weight against her as she whispered, "I'd love to."

Lauren's throat worked on a quick swallow and Bo smiled inwardly at her reaction.

"Here." Lauren brought a crystal flute to Bo's lips. The glass was nearly full, the gold liquid sloshed against Bo's lips as Lauren tipped it.

Bo's mouth opened and Lauren poured the liquor in, the sweet coating her tongue and throat. "Mmm. Do that again."

Lauren filled Bo's mouth with a big gulp. She watched Bo swallow her drink as she took one herself. After dropping the glass back down on the counter, she used her thumb to brush away the drops of liquor on Bo's chin, and then she licked it off.

Bo's dark, fiery gaze made Lauren shiver with anticipation. "It's so peaceful here. It's really quiet." She commented casually, despite her racing pulse, and the fact that she was getting really turned on.

Bo nodded and then moistened her lips with her tongue as she moved in. Her lips were a breath away from Lauren's. She could smell the sweet champagne on them, and she could feel the heat coming off of Bo's body.

"That robe." Bo murmured before brushing her lips over hers. "It wants to come off."

Lauren's gazed turned frisky at those words and she shrugged out of the white robe. Bo's head dipped, her eyes licked over Lauren's body as the robe came off her, one erotic inch at a time.

"I don't think I knew what beauty truly was, until I met you."

Lauren rested her forehead against Bo's and they stood together for a long moment, breathing each other in, until Lauren said, "Ditto."

Bo pulled back and looked at Lauren with heavy-lidded eyes. "You should always be naked." She said as her hands started wandering over Lauren's skin.

Lauren threw her head back and laughed. That move exposed her neck and Bo took advantage by planting her lips against it.

Lauren sighed happily, because she loved how Bo touched her, how she cherished her. "That would be interesting at work," She whispered as Bo's lips and tongue slid over her skin.

"Umm….okay maybe not, then..."

Lauren reached her hand around the back of Bo's neck and brought her mouth to hers. Bo's remaining words muffled against Lauren's tongue as she stroked all Bo's thoughts away.

The taste of Bo, flavored deliciously with a hint of champagne, intoxicated Lauren, and her whole body heated. She kissed Bo harder, urgently seeking her reciprocation.

Bo closed her eyes and melted against her just as her hand moved up Lauren's body; her palm covered her ribs, and her thumb grazed the underside of her breast. "Bed, like now," She said, beckoning Lauren forward.

Lauren didn't need Bo to ask twice, she eagerly followed her.

XXXXX

In a post-orgasmic bliss, Lauren sat on the deck, sipping her champagne as she stared at the lake, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her face. She liked the change of scenery the cabin offered and was relaxed by the fresh air and the sounds of nature. She snuggled under the blanket and her eyes sliced to the sliding doors as Bo opened them.

Bo stepped back out onto the deck, her body wrapped in a sheet and a bottle in her hand.

A little rush of happiness settled in Lauren's chest. She was loving every moment of their mini vacation. And Bo looked so happy, so relaxed, and she hoped with everything that Bo was feeling the same.

Bo smirked watching Lauren sweep her eyes over her body. "I was going to ask if you wanted some more." She waved the bottle in the air, "Of this. But maybe," She turned around and wiggled her backside, "You'd rather have some more of this."

Lauren laughed as Bo let the sheet slip off her and came to join her under the blanket, snuggling up on the big wicker sofa.

"I'm glad we came here," Lauren said with a contented sigh as she looked out at the fabulous view. "There's something about this place that makes me so happy."

Bo laughed a little under her breath and kissed her chest. "I'm glad, babe."

"So, have you thought about what you want to do before the party?"

Bo shrugged, her eyes lit with mischievous amusement. "Whatever ends with my tongue inside you." Bo was caressing Lauren's thigh, savoring the softness of her skin. "We'd better make the most of the time we have alone together."

Lauren drank in Bo's eyes, so full of desire and love she could practically taste it. "Are you trying to set a new record for most orgasms in a single weekend?"

"I'm willing to give it my best shot."

Lauren's hands came to Bo's shoulders, and her eyes grew hazy as Bo brushed the back of her knuckles up her inner thighs. As Bo teased and kissed her, Lauren sighed a lot. And smiled a lot. Laughed a little. And traced her fingers through Bo's hair. It was undeniably sexual but also sweet and loving.

But abruptly, Lauren's body went tense, and she jumped up off the couch out of Bo's reach. "Cover yourself!" She yelped, grabbing the sheet off the ground and tossing it over Bo's body.

Bo didn't move from her spot. Instead, she stretched out, smiling. "Why cover up? Nobody's here except us."

"I heard a car…"

The sound of the car driving over gravel interrupted Lauren and Bo craned her neck to see who it was. She saw that Dyson was behind the wheel, smiling as he honked the horn.

"Oh, that's Dyson and Ciara," Bo said, giving them a wave.

"They're early." Lauren managed to wrap the blanket around herself, and pulled it up to fully cover her body. "They weren't supposed to be here until later tonight."

Bo looked at Lauren and repressed a smirk at the look of horror on her face. Lauren was clearly flustered, her cheeks pinking because of the awkward situation.

"Guess they wanted a little longer vacation." With the sheet barely covering herself, Bo stood just as they heard the car doors open and close.

Bo and Lauren looked at each other for a few seconds, and then Lauren looked down at herself. "Let's go get dressed and get presentable."

At the same time, they burst out laughing. They ran through the sliding door like two teenagers, who had just been caught making out.

XXXXX

Dyson and Ciara had been a full four hours early. Lauren had dressed quickly and gone out to greet them and insisted that Bo took her time getting ready. Bo didn't mind one bit. It was her birthday weekend after all. She took her time taking a long soak in the tub, but her mind kept wandering back to work. It was an ugly situation, and she found it difficult to keep a cool head about it. She ran her hands over her face, and dunked into the water in an effort to clear her head.

Later, after checking her appearance in the mirror Bo opened the bedroom door. She heard music playing as she stepped outside the room. She paused as her eyes skidded around, noting the sliding doors were open letting in the fresh air. A buffet table was sat up in the corner and was laden with cocktails, platters of finger food and bowls of chips. An enormous sign covered one wall with the words: Happy Birthday Bo on it. There were several card tables out on the deck with different board games, and cards laid on them. She wondered how Lauren had sat all that up so quickly.

Lauren wore a flowy yellow sundress, her hips swayed sexily to the beat of the music as she fiddled with the flower displays on the table. She noticed Bo looking at her, tossed her head over her shoulder and smiled.

"How do you two keep each other smiling like that after so long?" Ciara asked Lauren, holding a bowl of lime slices she had brought out from the kitchen.

Lauren's face lit up as she thought about that. She kept her smile on Bo, who was still watching her from a distance. "Don't keep score. Be kind to each other."

"It's that easy, huh?" Ciara chuckled, placing the bowl next to the alcohol bottles.

"No," Lauren said with a laugh. "But it's a good starting point."

"Life moves so fast, sometimes. It's hard to believe Dyson, and I have a child together."

"You're good people, Ciara. And I think the two of you make a good pair." Lauren shot her a look. "I know how frustrating Dyson can be. I'm glad he hasn't scared you off."

Ciara laughed at Lauren's words.

"I'm only kidding. He's happier than I've ever seen him."

"We both are," Ciara said as she started lining up shot glasses on the table.

From across the room, Bo hung back and watched Lauren and Ciara for a few minutes. She was about to go over and help when Dyson came up behind her and clapped a hand on her shoulder. "I see we've surprised you."

"You certainly did," Bo said, slightly frustrated that their early arrival had ended her alone time with Lauren. Not that she didn't want to see the others, but she had wanted to have Lauren all to herself for a few more hours.

"Did we crash your private party?"

"Something like that."

"Sorry," Dyson gave her a rueful smile. "I guess we were a little too excited to get away."

Bo drew in a weary breath. "Tell me about it."

Dyson studied the bruise on Bo's temple, and asked. "What's going on with the case?"

Dark shadows gathered in Bo's eyes, and Dyson could see the frustration within her. "I'm waiting on the FBI and DA to make a move. They want to make sure everything's in order before arresting Clayton and bringing charges against everyone involved. Which I get but…"

As Bo spoke, Lauren came up to join them. Having overheard part of the conversation, she pressed a finger to Bo's lips to stop her. "No cop-talk tonight. The other guests will be here soon. Today is a day for celebration."

Dyson feigned a look of outrage and clapped a hand to his chest. "But we're cops. It's all we know."

Lauren smiled slightly and shook her head at him. "Try to have a little fun."

"Oh, I will. It's our first weekend away from the boy, and I intend to make the most of it."

Lauren tilted her head in the direction of the long mahogany table with cocktails and snacks littered over it. "There's plenty of drinks, and fried, salty and utterly fattening food available as well."

"I never say no to junk food."

Ciara interrupted their conversation, asking for Dyson's assistance on the deck to hang some lights.

"The lady beckons, therefore, I must go." Dyson said, side-stepping Lauren toward Ciara.

As Dyson walked away, Lauren turned back to Bo. "Happy birthday."

"It's technically not my birthday."

"Birthday weekend, then. I'm sorry our time together got interrupted."

Bo's lower lip stuck out in a pout. "I'm devastated. You'll have to make it up to me later." Her mouth twitched, then she blinked her lashes coyly.

"How?"

Bo pretended to give that some serious thought. "I seem to remember there was some talk about me licking birthday cake off a naked you."

Bo watched as Lauren bit her lip, her white teeth playing with the soft rosy flesh. She really wanted to nibble there too but resisted. Lauren released her lip, and her tongue swept across it, leaving it slick and more alluring.

"Sounds messy."

Bo winked and pushed her body into Lauren. "Sounds like a sexy mess and a perfect birthday surprise."

Lauren cupped Bo's cheeks in her hands, and gave her a firm kiss before responding, "You never miss an opportunity."

"I can't help it. All I want for my birthday is you."

Lauren's brow knitted adorably. "Cheeseball."

Bo grinned, her heart swelling with the rightness of the moment. Nothing in Bo's life could compare to the sweetness, and love they created together. She was enjoying the teasing exchange. The pain that had been present in Bo, casting a dark shadow over everything, faded to the background again. Smiling, they linked their arms and made their way to Dyson and Ciara to get ready for the party, and wait for the other guests.

 **XXXXX**

 **AN**

 **Part 2 of Bo's birthday next. Chapter got too big, so I split it up.**

 **Thanks for reading and reviewing.**


	16. Chapter 16

As the sun set, the party was in full swing. Wherever Bo looked, she saw familiar faces. All the gang was there, and a whole bunch of people she hadn't expected like Mark, a few other colleagues, and a couple of Lauren's friends. Some people played cards on the long tables; others stood around telling stories. As she strode absently along, she saw Dyson and Ciara walking down by the water's edge. All Lauren's hard work had paid off, and everyone seemed to be having a great time.

Greetings kept coming until she saw Kenzi. She sat with Mark at one of the tables. Mark seemed to be telling a story to her, and Kenzi looked intrigued, nodding and laughing. She found the scene strange at first, but then she supposed that they had some things in common as they were closer in age than the rest of the guests.

Wanting to talk to her sister, Bo walked forward and greeted Kenzi with a hug.

Across the deck from Bo, Lauren served hard lemonade in sugar rimmed mason jars and beer in frosted glass mugs. She caught sight of Bo with Kenzi. There was a lot of love in the warm smile they exchanged and the hug they shared tugged at Lauren's heart, reminding her of all the sisters had lost in a short time. She decided to stay back making drinks while the sisters chatted.

Bo looked Kenzi over, her face full of concern. "You look flushed." She said, handing Kenzi a bottle of water from a nearby table. "Are you okay?"

Kenzi accepted the water. "Just a bit warm." She said, after taking a sip.

Bo studied her for a moment. Then she smiled as she accepted Kenzi's explanation. At the same time, two work colleagues stepped forward to wish Bo a happy birthday.

Once they walked off, Bo took a seat next to Kenzi, and asked, "Where's Hale."

"Working. But he sends his love." Kenzi said, rolling the cold water bottle over her forehead.

Bo could see Kenzi's disappointment, so she took a cheerful tone when she responded. "Well, I'm glad you made it out here."

"How come all the people you know are so hot?" Mark interrupted, grinning at Bo.

Bo's head spun around and came face to face with Mark. Her expression quickly turned pinched with annoyance. "Ew. Don't hit on anyone here."

"I can't help that I'm a huge flirt."

As Mark laughed at his own joke, Bo rolled her eyes at him. "You mean you're a big disaster."

"Gee, thanks. Is that any way to talk to your favorite partner ever?"

"It's the only way to talk to you, dummy."

Smiling, Mark pushed the bowl of chips closer to her, and then rose to his feet. "I should go and mingle. I want to take in all the eye candy." He paused and smiled at Kenzi. "It was great to meet you."

"Same."

Bo flicked him on the back of the head as he walked away. After Mark had gone, Bo grumbled, "He's so annoying," She shot him a glare while digging into the bowl of chips.

"He's immature, but he seems like an okay dude."

"If you say so," Bo said, her mouth full of potato chips.

Bo munched on the snacks for a while, before Kenzi spoke up. "I'm proud of you."

Her comment surprised Bo. "For what?"

Snorting, Kenzi lightly slapped Bo's arm. "You know why."

Bo flicked a glance over at Lauren who'd gone over to play cards with her friends. She glared when she realized that Evony had also joined in on the game, sitting right next to Lauren of course. A little too close to Lauren. As usual, Evony was in a posh-looking dress, no doubt sky-high heels, and expensive jewelry. Her entire outfit probably cost more than Bo's car. Her frown deepened when Lauren turned and laughed at Evony while dealing the cards.

Before she felt the fangs of jealousy take hold, Bo turned her eyes back to Kenzi. "I didn't do much really."

"Don't be silly. You did. I'm sorry I didn't believe you about what happened to dad."

Bo shrugged that off. "You don't have to apologize to me. Not you." She glanced over her shoulder at Lauren again. Her face was covered with her hands, and her body shook with laughter. She wondered what had been so damn funny.

"But how are you doing?" Kenzi asked, pulling Bo's attention back to her.

"I'm all right." Bo wondered how many more times she would have to say those words that night. "I've taken worse hits in my life. My head's all healed." She said lightly, trying to downplay Kenzi's concern.

"It's not your head I'm worried about." Kenzi ran her eyes up and down Bo. "I'm concerned about the pain coming from your heart."

"I'm good, Kenz," Bo said tersely. She sat back in her chair and looked out at the lake in the distance. With the sun starting to set over the lake, the reflection cast a beautiful combination of oranges, pinks, and purples. She took a moment to admire the soothing view before adding, "I just want to enjoy my birthday."

Kenzi ignored Bo's tension, knowing that she was poking at wounds that were still fresh, but she couldn't stop herself. She needed to talk about it. "I still can't believe it. I wish I had a better understanding of it all."

Bo stared at Kenzi searching for some words to make her feel better, but nothing came to mind.

Worry was written all over Kenzi's face as she studied Bo. "What if Clayton's not convicted?"

"He will be. There's no way he's going to walk with all the evidence piling up against him. It's a slam-dunk. We'll get him. Try not to worry."

Kenzi took another drink of water to settle the emotions that had been on overdrive since she got pregnant. "I'm worried if that doesn't happen, he'll come after us, and we'll all be in danger."

"He won't come near you. I won't let that happen." Despite Bo's intense desire to keep her emotions out, her voice wavered on those words. Gazing down at Kenzi's belly, she added, "I'd never let anything happen to him, either."

They sat without talking for a few minutes, and Bo used the silence to push any lingering negativity out of her head. "So, everything good with you and the baby?" She hoped changing the subject might get their minds off their father and Clayton.

"I feel good, healthwise, and I think we're about as ready as we can be for the baby." Grinning, Kenzi's hand settled on her lower abdomen. "I've fallen in love, and he's not even here yet."

"That's wonderful." Bo paused, remembering her words about being a better sister, which she hadn't been recently. "So, what are you in the mood to eat? Lauren's got quite the spread of junk food." She was eager to do little things for her pregnant sister.

Before Kenzi could answer, Tamsin joined them with a plate piled with snacks. "I'm so hungry I can't see straight." She declared before scooping up a hand full of food to eat.

Bo watched Tamsin eat, and then stole a quick glance at Lauren's table. She wondered if Tamsin noticed, as she did, Evony's obvious attraction to Lauren. But if Tamsin was offended by it, she didn't show it.

Kenzi yawned, and then covered her mouth in embarrassment. "Sorry. I'm so tired all the time."

"Want to lay down?" Bo asked, giving Kenzi's arm a sympathetic little squeeze.

Kenzi shook her head no at Bo, stifling another yawn, and started picking food off of Tamsin's plate. Shortly after that, Dyson and Ciara joined them and they began swapping horror stories about the car ride to the cabin.

XXXXXX

Bo and Lauren were soon leaning against the railing with the lake behind them, facing the cabin. People roamed around, some drinking, some just hanging in groups, all talking and laughing.

Ever so often Bo caught Evony looking at Lauren with something way outside the bounds of friendliness. She never bothered to make her gaze discreet. Bo'd like to think she could rise above, but if that woman did have a "thing" for her wife and tried something she knew she wouldn't be able to control her temper. It was just so rude to lust after Lauren right in front of her face. Disrespectful. The attention Evony gave Lauren infuriated Bo on Tamsin's behalf as well. What right did she have to look at Lauren that way when she was there with Tamsin?

Lauren studied Bo from the corner of her eye as she took a long swallow of her drink. "What's that face you're making?" She elbowed Bo lightly in the ribs to get her attention.

Bo took a long swig of her beer to stall. Geez, she needed to get over the Evony thing, and stop being so unreasonably jealous, she scolded herself before answering Lauren. "This is my happy birthday face."

"Uh-huh." Lauren shifted closer to Bo, shooting her a disbelieving look. "It looks more like your grumpy face." She wiggled her finger at Bo's forehead. "You're frowning. That's an annoyed line right there."

Bo chuckled and swatted Lauren's hand away. "It's nothing; it's just me being silly."

"About what?"

"Evony keeps looking at you like you're a pie she'd like to bury her face in." The words were out before Bo even realized she was going to say them. She mentally face-palmed wishing she could ignore the jealousy that had crept into her.

Here we go again, Lauren thought. "I can't help the way people look at me, Bo." She said with an exaggerated eye roll.

Bo grunted. She understood why Evony might be interested in Lauren, but that didn't make her feel any better about it. The idea of her wanting her wife just pissed her off. "I don't like it. She's practically drooling whenever she looks at you." She said, eyeing Evony suspiciously.

"I can't keep having the same conversation." Lauren paired those words with a long sigh. "I hate when you act jealous over nothing. I don't know how many times or ways I have to say that I'm not interested in her to get it through your thick skull." She caught Bo's eyes, making sure she had her full attention. "Stop manufacturing trouble where there is none."

Bo thought about that over another mouthful of her beer. "My issues with this topic are not about you. I trust you. But I can't stand that woman looking like she's undressing you with her eyes. That drives me insane. Her, hovering over you like this is becoming borderline psychotic."

Lauren refused to get upset by Bo's words. The woman she loved had almost died, again. A lot of things simply became inconsequential after that. Bo was a jealous person, and Lauren made the choice not to let it affect her. So, she smirked and said, "Everywhere we go, Bo, everywhere, the second you walk into a room all eyes are on you with different people checking you out. Staring at your body, your chest…"

"I can't help it that I have a first-rate cleavage." Bo cut in with a teasing grin and wink.

"And a first-rate ego." Lauren volleyed back, cracking a smile.

Bo shrugged but held a glint of humor in her eyes. "It's the healthiest part of me. I know my strengths."

"My point was," Lauren said, putting the conversation back on track, "we can't control other people. We can only control whether we let other people's actions impact us."

Bo didn't miss the disappointment in Lauren's eyes, and it made her feel guilty, and foolish. "Sorry," She muttered with a tight jaw. "I'll stop being so melodramatic."

Lauren studied Bo's furious, beautiful face for a long moment. "You're awfully sexy when you're all steamed up." She moved around Bo, giving her only the slightest pinch on her backside. "And acting like an idiot."

"Is that so?"

Lauren nodded, putting her drink down. A smile spread across her face, a sparkle replaced the earlier disappointment in her eyes.

Bo smirked back at her, then finished off the remainder of her beer, and sat it on the deck rail next to Lauren's. "Good thing I'm an idiot a lot."

Lauren looked at Bo through her eyelashes with so much love that Bo could feel her insides go soft. Even when they drove each other crazy, they were also loving one another so much. It was simply their normal. Bo searched for a way to let go of her jealousy. In the next breath, she decided to go talk with Evony. To have a woman-to-woman conversation, so she could try and understand her better, and maybe to clear the air once and for all.

With a new plan Bo felt better, she hugged Lauren, lifting her a few inches off the floor. Lauren's surprised yelp turned into peals of soft, uninhibited laughter.

"Having fun?" Lauren gasped out when Bo put her back down.

Bo's annoyed mood was gone, replaced by playfulness. "I can't remember a better time," She said, her voice full of adoration, her eyes dazed and dreamy. "It's all perfect. Thank you for planning this. It's been a great birthday. Because of you."

"Would you just kiss me already?" Lauren commanded as she wrapped her arms around Bo's waist and tugged her close.

"Hey, I think that's my line…." Bo said, laughing, and then she covered Lauren's mouth with hers, and the laughter faded as the kiss turned serious. Lauren tasted like beer and salt, warm, sexy, irresistible, and Bo couldn't get enough of her. It didn't matter to her one bit that she was kissing Lauren in front of all the party guests, everyone else around them was forgotten.

Lauren broke their kiss and looked Bo in the eye. "I still love you more than anything, even when you're irrational." She pulled Bo's face back to her then continued to kiss her.

"I'm the luckiest idiot in the world," Bo said between kisses.

XXXXXX

After making the rounds a couple of times, Bo needed to sit down for a while. She wandered around looking for a seat, chatting with a few people before she ended up next to Evony, who sat alone with her eyes on her phone.

"Hello, Bo." Evony said as Bo settled beside her, her voice casual.

"Evony." Bo returned on a crisp note. "So what's your deal? Why are you so focused on Lauren?" She decided to cut right to the point.

Slowly, Evony lifted her eyes off her phone. "I wouldn't say that I am focused on Dr. Lewis, beyond forming a professional relationship with her. I respect her as a doctor." She flicked off her phone and slipped it into her purse. "Don't tell me you're one of those domineering, jealous types."

"Will you stop making comments to her and giving her lusty eyes. It makes her uncomfortable."

"Her or you." Evony challenged smoothly.

Bo glared at her understanding that Evony was clearly angling for a reaction from her. "Does it matter?"

Evony stared at Bo for a long moment, her gaze searching her face as if to judge if she would be a worthy opponent. "You'd have to ask Lauren. Now I hate to sound trite, but I do wonder what your beloved wife would think about you over here marking your territory."

Bo's lips tightened, irritation coursed through every vein, firing off nerves. She snapped and her anger emerged. "Stop eye fucking my wife. Is that clear enough for you?"

Evony gave her a smirk that was both smug and pleased. "Oh, you are delightful. This is just like getting a shake down from the big, bad cop, isn't it? It's rather thrilling."

Bo sighed in exasperation, realizing she was going to get nowhere.

After a drawn-out staring contest, Evony adjusted her dress after crossing her legs. "Fine, I apologize if my behavior has been inappropriate. Quite honestly, I do enjoy pushing her buttons and getting a reaction from her. I won't deny that. It's so easy I can't seem to resist."

Suddenly, Bo was too tired for the conversation, for Evony's special brand of goading, so she said, "Well, stop."

Evony lifted a single eyebrow as she said, "You're making more of this than is really necessary. But I will correct my behavior around Lauren. To a more professional tone." She snatched her drink from the table and held it in her hands. "Besides, I'm not one to break up marriages."

At that preposterous assertion, Bo scoffed and crossed her arms. "As if you could break up my marriage."

"Well, obviously, so why are you so worried? Why does my presence bug you so much?" Evony questioned, drinking the last bit of her drink before setting it down.

"I'm not worried." Bo shot back, meeting her gaze head on. "But some people always want what they can't have."

Evony tipped her head in acknowledgment. "The chase can be appealing. But that's not what's happening here."

Bo watched Evony's eyes for a hint of untruth. But she couldn't read her at all. She seemed a master at masking any and all tells. The inability to read her spelled trouble in Bo's mind. So, Bo took stock of what she could see, Evony held the kind of poise that came from a great education, a successful career, and an unwavering confidence in her worth in the world. In a lot of ways she was the antithesis of Bo. Is that why her interest in Lauren bothered her so much, she wondered.

They sat in silence for several minutes until finally, Evony noted conversationally, "Intelligence can take someone places, or it can isolate them."

Bo gathered a breath for patience and her hands flexed restlessly around the table's edge. "Lauren's not isolated. She has a full life."

Evony gave her a patronizing look. "She should be practicing medicine, in the best hospitals, not researching grants and funding. It's a waste of her skills."

Bo dropped her eyes, then silently scolded herself for doing it. She didn't want Evony to think she was in control of the conversation. "Is that what you're offering her? A chance to practice medicine freely? Because as far as I know, she loves research as much as practicing."

"I'm offering her the chance to finally meet her potential as a doctor. I'll never understand Lauren's desire to live in the shadows and always play it safe. She needs someone to push her to be better. Someone like me. She should be a rockstar in the medical field. Instead, she accomplishes nothing of note. She's wasting away in a mediocre existence. She never allows the spotlight to shine too brightly on herself. It's a shame."

Bo pulled her shoulders back. She was ready to defend Lauren, her career. "I don't think it's your place to judge Lauren's choices about anything. You need to stay out of it. She doesn't need you."

"She does. You love her too much to push her to her potential. You're blinded by love. She needs someone who won't handle her with kid gloves. She needs someone who isn't afraid to push her in directions she doesn't think she wants to go. You may not like me, but I'm the only one that can help her become the best doctor she can."

Evony's comments about Lauren started nagging at Bo and pissing her off. Evony was more of a narcissistic parasite than Bo had originally thought. "And what do you know about Lauren?"

"I know her better than you think," Evony said with an air of confidence. "Do you think someone like Lauren, with her skills, her academic credentials, her intelligence, set out to treat stomach flus and stitch up elderly people? No way. If you were honest with yourself, you'd admit Lauren should be doing more. That she desires more."

Evony was planting seeds of doubt in Bo's mind, and she started questioning if Lauren was fulfilled with her career or not. All the bravado that she had built up in her chest came tumbling down. "She's…happy." She frowned and looked away, searching for Lauren, but not spotting her. "I know she is…"

"Maybe. For now. But she could be out there changing the world. Making a real difference. Do you want Lauren looking back at her career with regrets?"

"No. Of course not." Bo snapped back.

"Losing Lauren as a pupil is the greatest failure of my career. And I don't do regrets. It's my duty to help her set and reach her goals."

"So it's more like a personal triumph to have Lauren working for you. I finally see you clearly." Bo tilted her head, openly assessing her. "Everything you do is to feed your ego…."

"That's ridiculous," Evony interrupted coldly.

"You honestly think that you can be an effective mentor to Lauren when you want to sleep with her? She'll never trust your motives."

As Evony held her gaze on Bo, a few whistle sounded from the crowd, and Bo dragged her eyes away from Evony to find Lauren standing on a table.

Lauren glared at Connor as he whistled and told her to start the show. She cleared her throat and waved her hands. "Thanks, for coming everyone," She said, after getting everyone's attention. "This is a special night. We're celebrating a woman who has been a really great friend to a lot of us, and for me the love of my life." She shifted her eyes around the crowd to find Bo and smiled.

Bo felt a surge of pride watching Lauren, and her smile grew bigger and bigger. Lauren outshined every person around her, and she didn't even have to try. Some of Evony's words rang true, she realized, Lauren could be a star in the medical field if she wanted. But did she want that? Was she happy working at the clinic and not some prestigious hospital?

Lauren waved her fingers at Bo and blew a kiss. "I fell hard for Bo many years ago, and our relationship has become the best possible mix of passion, friendship, and respect. So," Lauren raised her glass, "To a fantastic friend and an incredible wife. Happy birthday, Bo."

The party guests all raised their glasses to that and then echoed Lauren's happy birthday. Bo stood up and waved her hands in the air in answer.

Tamsin walked up to Evony and Bo. "That was sweet." She said, referring to Lauren's little toast.

"Yep, my wifey's pretty amazing," Bo said, gazing at Lauren adoringly as she jumped down off the table.

"I should go," Evony cut in, getting to her feet. "I need to drive back to the city."

"So early?" Tamsin's face fell as she spoke.

"Early shift at the hospital."

"Can I at least walk you out?" Tamsin asked with a slightly hopeful and eager tone.

"No thanks. You should stay with your friends." Evony answered casually, waving her hand as she walked away.

After she had disappeared down the back steps, Bo turned to Tamsin. "I don't think you should be involved with her. She's so rude just leaving you like that."

"I know what she's like. I don't mind."

Tamsin was brushing her off, and Bo knew it. "You may be a tough cop on the outside, but I think on the inside you have a big heart and maybe you care a little too much and are vulnerable. And Evony's the type to take advantage of that."

Tamsin glared at her. Her words struck a chord, and it was one she didn't like. Bo's assessment was a little too accurate because she worked very hard to stay tough on the outside and hide all her weaknesses.

"Don't get carried away. I'm not that person. I'm a lot meaner than you think." Tamsin glanced away before Bo could see the lie in her eyes.

Bo shouldn't judge, but she did have to wonder why Tamsin was spending so much time with Evony. She wasn't Bo's kind of person at all, and she couldn't imagine what Tamsin saw in her. But it was her birthday, and she didn't want to get bogged down in other people's relationships, so she grinned and said, "Sorry, I'm not trying to coddle you. I'm sure you know what you're doing."

XXXXX

After most of the guests had left, the rest of the party made their way down by the lake, where Lauren had set out chairs and logs around a fire pit.

Bo sat on her log, closest to where Kenzi was sitting. Under the moonlight, Kenzi handed her the bag of marshmallows, and she took a few. Lauren came around with a tray of supplies, graham crackers, chocolate and sticks trimmed for roasting.

"What we don't have to collect our own sticks," Tara joked, her voice full of teasing amusement.

It was predictable, and Lauren rolled her eyes, as she handed out the supplies. Lauren's friends started teasing her about how she'd bought every kind of chocolate offered in the grocery store.

"What is it? Let's pick on Lauren day or something?" Lauren grumbled, glancing down at the tray in her hands.

Connor and Tara exchanged a shrug. Then, Connor took some chocolate off the plate Lauren held. "That's every day, sweetie pie."

Lauren shot him a scowl, but she wasn't really upset. She was used to her friend's teasing her with reckless abandon. "What's wrong with being organized and prepared?"

"You have gone a little overboard with the selections," Tara answered, looking over all the chocolate with wide eyes. "How many people did you think were coming…."

Bo's lips twitched, and the conversations around the bonfire picked up. It all made her happy. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out, letting it all out. The work crap, the stress over her father, Evony's words about Lauren. Everything. Out. She was tired of feeling like shit. It got old after a while. And all she wanted was to remember how to enjoy life. And, at that moment, she was alive again, surrounded by friendship and family. Chatting and enjoying s'mores as the fire cast a circle of heat and bathed them all in flicking light.

After Lauren had passed out the supplies, Bo shifted to make room for her, and she sat next to her. Bo gave her a quick kiss and threaded her marshmallow onto the end of her stick. She nudged the candy into the flames to start the browning process. Seconds later, she pulled it back from the fire just as it began to char on the end. "Perfect." She blew on the candy.

Lauren was licking chocolate off her fingers next to her. "So good," She mumbled around her mouthful of sweetness.

"Right?" Tamsin picked up a nice piece of chocolate and pressed it into the pillowy softness of the hot marshmallow.

Taken in by the glow of the firelight on Lauren's face, Bo was silent for a long moment as she admired her. She really could just stare at Lauren for hours without saying anything. Lauren glanced at her and laughed after taking another bite of her dessert. She loved hearing that sound, loved spending time with her when they forgot their troubles and had fun with people who loved them. It was the perfect birthday. After savoring her first s'more, Bo got another marshmallow ready to go.

Bo bent over to steal a kiss from her wife, Lauren's tongue touched hers sharing the flavors with her. "You taste sweeter than sweet." She whispered between kisses. Kissing Lauren, Bo almost forgot there were others all around them. Almost.

"Ugh, those two are so sickeningly sweet," Tara said, sticking her finger down her throat and pretending she was gagging. "I think they're giving me diabetes."

"Get a room, you two!" Dyson shouted from the other side of the bonfire.

Bo sniggered and put some distance between their lips before she brought the s'more up to Lauren's lips. "How poor Ciara puts up with you, I do not know!" She called back across the fire just as Lauren took a bite from the dessert Bo offered her.

Dyson pointed his stick with three marshmallows on it at Bo. "Thanks. I can really feel the love." Beside him, Ciara smiled and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

For the next hour, the conversation was light as everyone enjoyed their drinks and dessert. Finally, Kenzi stood up, bringing Bo's attention to her. "I'm going to go to bed. My ankles swell at night, and I'm exhausted."

"Want me to show you your room?" Lauren asked, leaning over Bo's body to look up at her.

"No thanks. You all stay here; I'll see you in the morning." Kenzi smiled at the group and then waddled back up toward the cabin.

After Kenzi had walked away, the group separated a bit. Dyson, Tamsin, and Ciara chatted on one side of the fire, and Bo, Lauren, Tara, and Connor on the other.

The three doctors carried on a conversation over their mutual medical geekage, while Bo sat beside Lauren trying to follow along but not really understanding much of what they were saying. At length, Connor smirked at Lauren, and said, "Truth or dare."

Lauren's head fell back, and she rolled her eyes. "Oh, no. Please, not that game."

"Come on. It's a classic." Connor said, nudging her leg with his foot.

"Fine. Truth."

Connor pressed his smiling lips into a firm line and cleared his throat while stifling a laugh. "Marry, shag, kill: Tamsin, Tara, Evony."

Lauren grumbled and rubbed her palms over her legs. "You know perfectly well I'm already married. That question is completely inappropriate."

"It's a game. Lighten up." Tara put in, throwing her marshmallow stick at Lauren.

Lauren skidded her eyes around the group before landing on Bo. "Shag and marry Bo, and kill no one."

Bo smiled at Lauren, but Connor snorted and said, "You're so lame, Lauren."

"Well, that's my truth," Lauren said before placing a kiss on Bo's lips.

"I'll answer," Tara said, taking the attention off Lauren. "Shag Tamsin, kill Evony, marry Lauren." Laughing at herself, she turned to Bo. "Truth or dare."

"Dare," Bo replied without hesitation.

"I dare you to skinny dip in the lake," Tara said, pointing to the water behind them.

Bo rose to her feet and pulled off the sweater she was wearing leaving her in a black camisole. "I'm not shy; that's not much of a dare for me." She held out her hand for Lauren, she took it, getting to her feet. "But Lauren has to come with me."

Smirking, Lauren pushed into Bo's body, and together, they ran off toward the lake, leaving the others behind.

XXXXX

The next morning while the remaining guest's slept, Bo and Lauren walked along a path that wound its way beside the creek bed. The trees that surrounded them smelled wonderful. Lauren had on a pair of cutoff jean shorts, which hung two inches below her butt, and a white tank top, and with the morning breeze blowing her hair off of her shoulders and the sun glistening on her skin, Bo couldn't take her eyes off her. Especially when she noticed Lauren was wet between her breasts from sweat.

As they walked, Bo took stock of her emotions to get her mind off licking that sweat off Lauren's chest. She was definitely feeling more enthusiastic and better about everything. The day seemed brighter. Scents were more aromatic. The trip to the cabin had given her the distance she needed to clear her head, and she hoped she could hold onto that once they went back home.

"The clearing isn't far now. The view is supposed to be amazing." Lauren said as she started to pull ahead of Bo, legs moving with a brisk efficiency. With a smile, Bo readily followed behind Lauren.

A few minutes later, the trees thinned as they walked on, and soon they emerged into a clearing. It was a small meadow that sloped up to where the tree line began again.

Once they reached the top, Lauren turned and swept her arm out over the view before them. The lake looked smaller from up there. "Great, huh? You can see for miles." She commented, looking around.

Bo nodded, it was breathtaking. She watched as the morning sunlight's reflection danced across the rippling water and felt at peace. The world felt incredibly vast from up there, and Bo found herself thinking about all the possibilities, which laid before them. She, they, had a good life and she never wanted to forget that.

Lauren sat down on a fallen tree and stared off into the distance. Not long after, Bo went and plopped herself down beside her.

Lauren leaned her elbows on her knees, and for a few minutes, there was only the sound of nature around them. She turned away from the view to look at Bo. "Pretty intense last few weeks, huh?"

Bo thought she'd detected a hint of sadness in Lauren's voice that she was working hard to mask. "Pretty intense few years I'd say."

"But it looks like all's well with the world."

Bo inhaled deeply before answering, letting the clean, fresh air fill her lungs. "For now."

Lauren touched Bo's cheek, and Bo closed her eyes for a breath, relishing in her touch. Her palm was warm and soft, loving. "Now is good enough for me. We better grab onto that while we can."

Bo leaned in and kissed her. "And we will. I think our thirties are going to be pretty spectacular. I have a good feeling."

Lauren stared back at Bo with her lovely, intelligent eyes, and said, "Absolutely."

The sun was climbing into the bright blue sky, and there wasn't a cloud in sight. They sat and talked about the view and how pretty everything looked, and took a few pictures. Lauren pointed out different plants and trees, which Bo would never have noticed on her own. Finally, the conversation tapered off, and Lauren looked like she was mulling over a complex equation in her mind.

"Something wrong?" Bo asked, studying Lauren's profile with interest.

"No," Lauren said quickly. She didn't want to talk about what was bothering her because telling Bo would ruin the moment, and she was loving the moment.

"You're a terrible liar, my love. Spill it." Bo knew something was bothering her, and she wasn't going to let it go until she found out what.

Lauren looked over at Bo, her eyes big and troubled. "I know you've been through a lot and I hate to bring this up…"

"Don't worry about that. Tell me what's on your mind." Bo brushed Lauren's hair from her shoulder and pressed a kiss to the spot she'd bared.

"My mother called me." Lauren let out her breath, bracing herself for Bo's likely reaction.

Bo turned wide, confused eyes on Lauren. "What? Why? When?"

"I guess she left my father and is filing for divorce. She wants to meet with me sometime soon."

Bo slow-blinked because she was angry. She waited a full ten seconds, simmering in her temper until she had control over it, before responding with forced calmness. "You're not going, are you? That woman emotionally abused you, your whole life. You don't owe her anything."

Bo watched the struggle on Lauren's face. She knew some of the history between Lauren and her mother, but she'd never know all of it.

"I haven't decided." Lauren's tone was flat and defensive.

"The timings odd don't you think? We're going to be coming into some serious money soon, and now out of the blue your mother contacts you." Bo shook her head, quickly a few times. "That woman's a real piece of work."

"She said she doesn't have anyone else."

"Oh, so she's guilt tripping you," Bo said with a growl of frustration. "Wonderful. Do you really want to go back there? Put up with all her shit again?"

Lauren stared silently out at the lake. She needed time to think about Bo's words. To think about her decision.

Bo gave her a long, measured look. Her heart twisted. Lauren's situation physically hurt her, thinking about the unfairness of what she had grown up with and how she hadn't deserved any of it. "You can't take care of everything and everyone. You need to take care of YOU. Your heart. And what gives her the right to ask this of you?"

Lauren presented the facts as she saw them. "I said I haven't decided. But their constant rejection shaped who I am, and it might be cathartic for me to have a painfully honest conversation with her." She said, hoping that didn't make her out to be a complete fool. "A conversation on my terms, not hers. I think I need real closure, a resolution beyond just cutting her out of my life."

"Your mother is a pathetic excuse for a human being, not worth your time or thought." Bo stood and paced away from Lauren. With a little distance, Bo turned and looked over at Lauren, a quiet sadness prevalent in her expression. She couldn't stand to see Lauren upset. While she admired Lauren's kindness and generosity, she still worried about her. As far as Bo was concerned Lauren was better off without her mother or father. She broke the silence because she needed to clarify her point. "I love that you are always open to forgiveness. That you don't give up on people. But…some people don't deserve to be forgiven so easily. It lets people walk all over you. No matter what she's still a horrible person. You can't forget that."

Briefly, Lauren's slammed her eyes closed against the truth of Bo's words. "I haven't. And everything you said is true; I know that."

"I don't want to see you hurt, babe," Bo said, coming back to sit next to her. "That would hurt me too." As Bo spoke, Lauren leaned her head on her shoulder, and Bo started stroking her hair. "I don't claim to understand what you're seeking by talking with her, but it's your decision, and I'll support you either way." Lauren turned to gaze up at Bo and saw the sincerity in her eyes. "Don't let her hurt you, okay?"

"I won't." But as Lauren said the words she wondered if, even at twenty-nine, she was still capable of seeing her mother and not letting it affect her. Taking a breath, Lauren rose to her feet and reached for Bo's hand. "Okay, that's enough heavy stuff for one day. We should get back. The others will be up soon."

The spark in Lauren's eyes that had dulled was back, and Bo took that as a good sign. She linked her fingers with Lauren's as she stood up. She moved in and kissed Lauren on the lips, lingering several seconds. "Race you to the bottom," She said, breaking away from Lauren and sprinting into a run.

Smiling, Lauren ran as fast as she could and was soon neck and neck with Bo. Bo took a quick glimpse at Lauren and sprinted forward, carrying her ahead.

Knowing she probably wouldn't out run Bo, Lauren caught up as much as she could and impulsively flung herself at Bo, wrapping her arms around her waist and tackling her to the ground. They rolled over and over, laughing as they went. When they finally stopped, the laughter died down and they were lying side by side.

"Got you." Lauren teased, giving Bo a playful shove with her hand.

"Yes. You do." Bo chuckled, leaning in to kiss the top of Lauren's nose. "Were you scared of losing?"

Lauren picked a piece of grass from Bo's hair. "Maybe. But I guess we both win."

Bo smiled and they both pushed up to their feet. "Definitely." She held her eyes for a long beat, then took Lauren's hand and started walking down the trail. "I gotta say, you tackling me was pretty hot. Feel free to repeat that move anytime."

Leaning her head on Bo's shoulder, Lauren said, "Okay but I'll keep you on your toes about the next attack."

Bo was smiling broadly as she said, "I'm totally on board with that."

 **XXXXX**

 **AN**

 **Next up: Bo and Kenzi read their father's journal.**

 **Thanks for reading and reviewing.**


	17. Chapter 17

Bo's arm naturally shot out across the bed, looking for Lauren. She was there, sleeping on her side. She automatically relaxed when she felt Lauren next to her.

Lauren stirred at her touch. "Bo?"

"Good morning."

Lauren turned over then cuddled into Bo's side. "I'm so tired. What time did we get home?" She asked. She had fallen asleep in the car and didn't remember getting home or climbing into bed.

"Late." Bo ran her fingers through Lauren's hair. "The weekend was fun."

"So much fun." Lauren's voice cracked with exhaustion because she was still in the process of waking up.

Bo slipped her hand under Lauren's shirt and glided it across her bare stomach. Her fingers were warm as they moved around to settle on Lauren's back.

"We should do it again sometime. But alone."

"Absolutely." Grinning, Bo's lips touched Lauren's neck, kissing just under her ear. "I think we should stay here and do nothing but have wild sex all day."

"You're terrible."

"It's not my fault," Bo argued playfully as she hooked a finger on Lauren's underwear. "I have a super hot wife with a perfect body and an even more perfect heart. You can't hold it against me that I want you all the time."

Bo continued to kiss Lauren's neck, as Lauren stretched her arms over her head and yawned. "I have to go to work, so I'll need a rain check on the wild sex."

"That works for me." Bo kissed Lauren's cheek before getting up. "I'm going to make you breakfast." She clapped her hands together. "What do you want?"

"Oatmeal and fruit," Lauren answered using her palms to rub the sleep from her eyes.

"What no pancakes, eggs or bacon?"

"I need something less greasy," Lauren looked up at her with a smirk, "I indulged way too much this weekend."

For a split second, a comeback hovered on Bo's lips about indulging on other things. Instead of voicing that retort, she climbed back on the bed and kissed Lauren's forehead. "Coming right up."

XXXXX

When the breakfast was ready, Bo served up two bowls and waited for Lauren. As she scrolled through work e-mails, she scooped up her oatmeal because it was there and she was hungry. She opened a link from Hale. Apparently, it had been an eventful weekend while she was gone. Paris had given the FBI a few leads on where Rainer's body might be, and they were checking out each location. Hale seemed confident that if they found the body, Clayton would be arrested quickly after that.

A few minutes later, Lauren appeared dressed in her dark blue scrubs with her hair pulled back. When Bo placed her food in front of Lauren, she kissed her in appreciation. "Thanks for making me breakfast." She said, pulling a bowl of fresh fruit toward her.

"I'm here to take care of all your food and beverage needs, my love."

Lauren grinned at Bo, adding blueberries to her bowl. "What's on your agenda for today?"

Bo was peeling a banana as she answered, "I plan on going to the gym and then I have my appointment with that shrink at ten."

"How's that going?" Lauren prompted with curiosity.

"I was annoyed at first, but I think it's helping me see things differently."

Lauren offered her a supportive smile and then concentrated on her food. She was hungry and didn't have a lot of time before her shift at the clinic.

Bo ate her breakfast and watched Lauren carefully. "Are you happy?"

Lauren immediately stopped chewing, caught off guard by the question. She cleared her throat to get rid of the food. "Yes."

"But really. Honestly." Bo pressed as she took slow bites of her fruit.

Lauren picked a blueberry off her oatmeal and ate it. She wasn't sure what Bo was implying or trying to get at, so she asked in confusion. "Why wouldn't I be happy?" She stared at Bo, trying to read her face. "Why are you acting so weird?"

Bo's eyes remained on Lauren, her face serious. "Don't be upset," She paused, and played with the banana peel on the table. "but…"

Lauren laughed, and her eyes brightened at Bo. "When you preface a conversation like that, you know I will, in fact, get upset."

Bo took a few bites of her banana in silence before she said, "Okay, but please don't get too upset." She sighed like she was about to say something uncomfortable, because she was. "I spoke with Evony about you, and your career."

Lauren tried to hide the irritation on her face but struggled. "Oh, Bo…"

"Look, I have no doubt that she would sleep with you in two seconds if you showed interest…."

Lauren cut Bo off with a warning look. "Just stop."

Undeterred, Bo continued. "But…she said some things about your career that got me thinking."

Lauren sat down her spoon and folded her hands in her lap with an impatient expression. She really didn't like the idea of Bo and Evony discussing her career behind her back as if she was incapable of making her own decisions. "Like what?"

"That you shouldn't waste your life working at the clinic. That you have ambitions and desires that are bigger than what that work can provide. And if left to your own devices, you'll never reach your full potential. I don't know, but I think she made some good points, in an obnoxious, haughty way, but still."

Lauren made a frustrated sound. She stared at Bo while she picked up her spoon and continued to eat her oatmeal. "It's none of her business."

"Of course it isn't. But, as your wife, I want to know if you're fulfilled in your career or not. It's important to me that you're honest about it."

When Lauren didn't respond, Bo added, "Never feel guilty about wanting more."

Lauren considered Bo's words as she finished her food. It was difficult to stay annoyed with her wife when she seemed so sincere in her concern. Once done, she looked directly at Bo and said, "Working at a big hospital definitely challenged me more as a doctor. I do miss that. There was something exciting about not knowing what to expect, learning new techniques, and observing new methodologies." She couldn't stop the wistful gleam in her eye. "Don't get me wrong, I like working at the clinic, but it's predictable and easy. There aren't very many opportunities to put my abilities into action. I admit I do find myself getting restless at times."

"So why not do something else?"

"My schedule at the clinic is more manageable than working at a hospital. I took this job, with better hours, for us. So we could see each other more. If I went back to the hospital, I would be working longer hours, on call more." Lauren reminded Bo, who seemed to have forgotten the difficulties they faced when their busy schedules had gotten between their relationship. "And with your schedule we would never see each other."

Bo was quick to flash Lauren a reassuring smile. "We can make it work. I wouldn't let our schedules come between us. Not again."

Lauren started to feel irritated that Bo seemed to be dismissing her rational concerns. "That's easier to say, than to live and you know it." She said, a little harsher than she had wanted.

Bo looked at Lauren with emotion in her eyes, her hand moved to Lauren's thigh, and she gave it a gentle squeeze. "I remember the girl I fell in love with. You had all these big goals and wonderful dreams, and maybe life got in the way a little, and you lost something important along the way."

"I adjusted my dreams, my goals because I wanted to put us first. Isn't marriage about the give and take, with compromises by both parties?"

"Yes and I appreciate everything you've done for us. But things have changed, and now you can put your career first for once. You've put your ambitions on hold for me long enough."

Lauren thought for a moment. "What's changed?"

"Like I told you before I want to quit my job."

Lauren was shocked Bo was bringing that up again. "Bo…."

"I want to do this. I want to do something new. Different."

Lauren stared back at her with a thoughtful expression. "Why?"

"I loved being a detective. But I'm tired, babe. The work is dangerous, and I know it's time to make a career change. Some things just feel exactly right, and that's how I feel about this decision."

Lauren shook her head. "How can you give up your career? It's something you're good at, and you make a difference in the world, you…"

"Maybe it's time I started making more of a difference to my family. You. Kenzi. My little nephew that's coming. I think I've given enough of myself to my work. It's time to make a difference in a new way, to start a new chapter in my life. And I want you to feel free to chase all your dreams, your ambitions."

"And what about your dreams?"

"Worshipping you is my dream. It's what I do best. My purpose in life is to make you happy. That's all I've ever wanted."

"Bo, be serious. You'll be no good to me or anyone else if you spend all your days without goals and something important to do. You can't live for me and nothing else. That's not healthy, and it's not the life I want."

"We're not built the same way, Lauren. I could do a hundred different jobs and be happy, but for you, being a doctor, it's like it's in your blood. I know I can find something else that I'm passionate about."

"What will you do if you're not a detective?" Lauren asked with a pointed gaze.

"I don't know, exactly. I have a few ideas, but first I'd liked to take some time off and get my father's estate in order. The world is filled with possibilities. And as I look toward the future, I know that I don't want to be a detective anymore."

Lauren stopped and let all Bo's words sink in. She wanted to make sure that she heard Bo, really heard what she was saying. The last thing she wanted was for Bo to give up her career for her, but the more she spoke with her, the more she realized Bo wanted the change for herself. And she seemed adamant in her decision, and Lauren knew she needed to be supportive. "I can see you've given this a lot of thought."

"I have. This isn't an impulsive decision."

"I believe you," Lauren said, meaning it. "You don't have to be a cop if you don't want. You can be anything you want as long as it makes you happy."

Lauren was smiling. Bo felt the pull. That sharp tugging in the center of her body, that compulsion that made her want to touch Lauren, to hold her. So, she patted her thigh, and said. "Come over here."

Lauren rolled her eyes, but a smile stretched her lips as she sat in Bo's lap. For a moment, Lauren snuggled into Bo, into their perfect cocoon of euphoria.

"I don't want you to settle in your career for me, anymore. I don't want you to use us as an excuse to stand in the same place." Bo's lips moved to the corner of Lauren's mouth and down her neck. "I don't want to hold you back. You are going to do amazing things in your life, and all I want to do is cheer you on and help you soar." She paused so she could find Lauren's eyes. "It would work for both of us because I'm really excited about moving on to something new. Can you think about it?"

Lauren looked into Bo's eyes and saw nothing but the truth in them. "I'll give it some thorough and thoughtful consideration." She grinned from ear-to-ear when Bo started sprinkling kisses along her jaw. Bo's words resonated deep within Lauren as she finally came to the same realization. She needed, desired, more challenges in her life, in her work. "It would be exciting to have the opportunity to advance in my field."

Bo could hear the passion and excitement in Lauren's voice, which let her know that she had won Lauren over.

After kissing Lauren a few times, Bo rose to her feet, crossed the room and then filled up Lauren's travel mug with coffee. "I'm happy you're going to think about it, but I've already made up my mind. I'm ready to put in my resignation."

Having made a firm decision about her future, and having Lauren's support, Bo felt ten pounds lighter. It was like all that pressure was gone. She had no idea what the future would hold, but moving on from being a cop with a clear head felt good. Right.

"You're serious." Lauren stood and went to stand in front of her. "This is what you want?" She asked needing a final conformation about Bo's decision.

Bo handed Lauren the mug, which Lauren accepted with a smile. "I mean every word."

XXXXX

A few days later, Bo was typing up her resignation when Dyson entered her office without knocking. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing." She forced a smile as she lied. Why get into the truth? She didn't plan on announcing her decision until later. She knew she owed it to Hale to inform him of her decision first.

Dyson looked like he didn't believe her, but he didn't press as he took a seat in front of her desk. "So they're searching for Rainer's body." He announced, studying Bo's face with interest.

"I know. I heard."

"How do you feel about that?" He asked with both of his eyebrows raised.

Bo laughed, relaxing back in her chair. "You sound like that shrink."

Dyson sat back and pressed the tips of his fingers together, and tilted his head. "Well?"

"I want it over, so Kenz and I can move on."

"I hear ya." Dyson looked away, and his shoulder sagged as if he'd some burden weighing him down.

"Something on your mind?" Bo asked, picking up on his tension.

"Tamsin and I are working a new case." Dyson sighed, his face paling slightly. "A stay-at-home mom, discovered by her thirteen-year-old son after he got home from school. The scene was pretty gruesome."

"Shit." Bo breathed out, another reminder of the unpleasantness of their jobs. "That's a tough one."

Dyson looked stricken for a moment before his game face returned. "Aren't they all?"

Bo tipped her head in agreement because it was true. Maybe the circumstances were different, but every homicide was terrible, especially for those left behind. "Lauren's meeting with her mother today." She blurted out, needing the topic to change for herself and Dyson.

"Ugh. I dislike that woman." Dyson ran his hand through his hair. "What's Lauren thinking? It seems like she doesn't tell me anything anymore."

"She probably thought you'd talk her out of it." Bo was quick to point out.

Dyson looked away, his expression brooding. "Damn right, I would have."

"I think she wants closure, or something. But I hate it. The pain her parents caused and cause her is one of the things I can't protect her from. I feel helpless, and hate leaving her alone to deal with it."

"Why didn't you go along with her?"

"She didn't want me to," Bo said with an attitude because she really had wanted to go and support Lauren. She didn't trust Norma Lewis, not one bit. Lauren was too capable of forgiveness and empathy, and that made Bo worry. She didn't want Lauren's mother taking advantage of her, or breaking her heart.

Dyson was in the middle of his response when Bo's phone rang, cutting him off. Bo looked at the screen and felt some of the tension ease from her body.

"The wife?" Dyson asked with a laugh watching Bo's reaction.

"Yep," Bo answered her phone with a full-fledged smile breaking across her face. "Hey, babe."

"Hey. How's your day?" Lauren asked from the other end of the line.

The sound of Lauren's voice instantly took Bo to her happy place. "Much better now that you've called."

Dyson rose from the seat, saluted a goodbye, and left the office without a word.

"I was just talking with Dyson," Bo answered when Lauren asked what she was working on.

"Oh, you don't need to drop everything you're doing every time I call."

Bo swiveled her chair around, so her back was to her door. "That's where you're wrong."

Lauren laughed at Bo's response. The line was quiet for a beat, then Lauren said, "I'm about to go into the restaurant to meet with my mom" She hesitated, but only for a second, "And I guess I needed to hear your voice."

"Say the word, and I'll be there," Bo said, wishing she could crawl through the phone and be by Lauren's side.

Lauren's sigh was audible through the phone. "No, I feel like I have to do this on my own."

"Whatever you want," Bo said, sounding anything but happy about it. She wanted to respect Lauren's decision but her need to protect Lauren couldn't be shaken.

"That's what I want. But thank you for offering."

Bo absorbed the softness of Lauren's tone, along with an intense desire to give Lauren a reminder of who she was, so she said. "Whatever happens, whatever she says to you just remember you're a smart, classy, lovable woman with an incredible heart. If she can't see that she's not worth your time."

"Have I told you how much I love you?" Lauren asked, a clear smile in her voice.

"Yeah, but I never get tired of hearing it."

"See you tonight."

"I'll be counting the seconds until then," Bo replied, she heard Lauren laugh as the phone disconnected.

XXXXX

"Lauren, sit, please."

With her muscles pinched so tight she could hardly breathe, Lauren gingerly sat across from her mother. She didn't try to act like she was happy to see her because she wasn't. She didn't spend every waking minute hating on her parents. It took too much energy to hate someone, to live in constant regret, anger, and bitterness. She had, for the most part, successfully, left both her parents in the past. What she felt instead was indifference. Or so she thought.

Awkward didn't begin to describe the tension in the air. Lauren fought back the urge to flee. But she had agreed to meet with her, and she couldn't back down. She wasn't looking forward to the conversation with her mother, but she was a woman of her word and wanted to honor that.

They sat across from each other without talking for a long time. Lauren glanced at her, she saw the similarity in the shape of their faces, the eyes. She pondered that biologically they were connected, but emotionally they were as distant as two people could be. It was like they occupied two entirely different universes, which had been true as long as Lauren could remember. Lauren was surprised to see she wasn't styled like she usually was. She was wearing glasses, no jewelry, and casual clothes. Her appearance was a far cry from the polished, perfectly coiffed, Norma Lewis, that lived in her memories.

A server took their drink orders and quickly brought a round of iced teas. Another awkward moment hung between them, a charged silence filled with all the unsaid words.

Norma adjusted her glasses, and Lauren noted the large diamond that once sat on her ring finger was gone. She wondered if her mom would change her name back now that she was getting divorced. She supposed it didn't matter to her one way or another. Perhaps she was being cold, but the empathy she had for her mother was non-existent.

When Norma realized Lauren wasn't going to say anything, she spoke. "Thank you for coming. I half expected you not to show up."

"I definitely thought about it," Lauren admitted, stirring her drink but not picking it up. If her mother thought she was going to make it easy for her, she was in for a big surprise. "Why don't you tell me why we're here?"

Norma's energy was a mixture of anxiety and hope. She made no attempt to hide her emotions, which Lauren found peculiar. She seemed more open, more honest. It was a side to her Lauren never saw before, and never imagined she would.

"We haven't seen each other in a long time." Her mother sipped her drink. "It breaks my heart."

Lauren didn't respond. Instead, she closed her eyes and breathed slowly as if that would help. The pain, the disappointment from her past seemed like a lifetime ago. But, facing her mother, it flooded her heart in full force. Apparently, her emotions weren't as shielded as she would have hoped. As the silence ticked on Lauren's palms grew clammy, and her heart started racing as she imagined where the conversation might go.

When Lauren said nothing, her mother tried again. "I think we need to talk. As adults. I want to know more about you, about your life."

Lauren continued to stir her tea with the straw because she didn't know what else to do with her pent up energy. "You had the opportunity to know me. But you didn't want it."

"You're my only daughter, Lauren."

There was sadness in her voice, and a spark fired in Lauren's stomach. Anger, maybe mixed with a hint of guilt, which weren't unusual emotions when she dealt with her parents. She kept her eyes fixed on a nearby window as she spoke in a hard, flat tone. "What's your master plan? To make me feel sorry for you now that you're alone?"

There was a moment of silence before Lauren turned her eyes back to her mother.

"There is no master plan." Norma pinned her with a determined, but wounded gaze. "I don't want to hurt you. I've done enough of that."

"If I seem cold you deserve it. You deserve every hurtful word coming to you." Lauren knew she sounded insensitive, but her anger had simmered right to the surface making it difficult to be compassionate.

She bowed her head and didn't argue with Lauren. "You're right, I do." With her arms crossed over her chest, her usual perfect posture was gone. "You have every right to be angry with me."

Lauren had to consciously tell herself not to scowl. "I have to admit; I don't know what to say to you."

Under Lauren's gaze, she drew in a ragged breath. "When you were a little girl, before you realized what kind of mother you had, you used to gaze up at me with this sweet, innocent smile. You always had a curious mind; it's like you wanted to know any and everything about the world. You always wanted me to hold you. To tell you a story, or explain something to you. I used to call you my little sponge." Norma's eyes glittered with moisture. "I think about those memories a lot lately."

Tears, Lauren observed with amazement. Was it possible that her ice cold mother could actually cry? Did she actually have the ability to feel remorse?

Interrupting the moment, the server approached their table to take their orders. Lauren ordered a salad with grilled chicken, her mother the same. He took the menus and left. The uncomfortable tension in the air returned as soon as he walked off.

Lauren pulled her jacket closer around her body, even though it wasn't cold in the restaurant. "I don't understand you. I don't understand why you were always so hateful to me. Why were you like that?"

Her mother bristled at that. "Slow down. Just give me some time to explain. In retrospect, I guess, I hadn't been a very good listener. To you. To your needs. I was more concerned about my husband's feelings than my own daughter."

Lauren sensed her mother was trying to say something without admitting too much fault on her part. "You have to give me more. I need more than that."

"Once you cut us out of your life, I realized how much I let your father's vile behavior and selfishness cost our family."

"But you were always standing beside him, agreeing with the things he said." Lauren reminded her before she laid all the blame on her father. She never attempted to defend Lauren against him. She turned a blind eye almost every time.

Guilt and shame moved into her eyes. Then she closed them abruptly like she couldn't stand to look at Lauren. Or perhaps she couldn't stand to see her own self-loathing reflected in Lauren's eyes. Finally, she said, "Yes and I've regretted for a long time what happened, what I've said to you, how my words and actions must have made you feel. How my lack of defending you against your father must have hurt you."

Lauren just stared at her. She had mixed feelings about every bit of the conversation. She sounded nothing like the woman she used to know. She felt overwhelmed with confusing thoughts and feelings. Everything about it felt completely surreal.

"I wanted to reach out to you many times over the years. But your father wouldn't allow it. He said you were as good as dead to us."

Lauren could hear the resentment in her voice, and see it on her face as she spoke. She continued to look at her, waiting for further insight into what she was trying to say.

"I wanted to change. To try and understand you better. I wanted to change my life, become a better woman, but he is very set in his ways, as you know. And he wouldn't budge. It opened my eyes to what kind of man I married."

Lauren looked down at her tea before she finally took a drink. "It's confusing to me that it took you so long to figure that out."

"I married your father when I was eighteen, and from the beginning, he was always a little controlling, and very close minded about certain things. And I suppose I put up with it because I wanted to be a doctor's wife, more than anything, and enjoy all the perks that came with that life. But I realized the meek way I accepted his behavior, and how I had become more subservient to him as the years passed."

Lauren didn't react to her admission, but she pitied her. Unlike Lauren, her mother never had a real, true partnership in her marriage.

A glint of admiration entered Norma's eyes. "I admire your fierce independence and individualism. I respect you for being different and following your heart no matter what." She moved her hand to touch Lauren's but drew back when Lauren's eyes widened at the gesture. "I'm proud to call you my daughter. You have so much talent, and you're so intelligent, you're everything I wished I could have been. In a small way, you inspired me to want my own independence from my controlling husband. It took a while, but finally, I worked up the courage and filed for divorce." She covered her heart with her hand. "You need to know how sorry I am…that I really do love you even if I didn't show it. I'm sorry I couldn't be the mother you deserved."

Lauren was besieged by a variety of different emotions that settled into a lump in her throat. Her apology, all of it, seemed too soon, too easy, too unexpected. The idealistic part of her wanted to believe it was genuine, but the other part wondered if she was missing her mother's true motivation.

"If you're looking for money, I'm not giving you any, and neither is my wife. If you need help, go look elsewhere." Lauren felt guilty saying those words. She wasn't use to acting so uncaring and without compassion. It was out of character for her, but it was also necessary to protect herself.

"That's not why I wanted to see you."

"Yeah?" Lauren couldn't keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

"No. I don't need money. I started making jams and jellies."

Lauren blinked in surprise, processing her mother's words. "Jam?"

Her mother grinned as she opened her purse and took out a jar. She handed it to Lauren with a joyful expression. "Yes. I make all sorts of flavors and sell them to local shops, and farmer's markets."

Lauren didn't know what to say, or how to feel. Silently, she looked down at the label, strawberry-vanilla bean was written in large red font. Frowning, her eyes lifted back to her mother.

"It's a modest income, but it's enough for me. Since I get to keep the house in the divorce settlement. Honestly, I feel good earning my own money, and taking care of myself for the first time in my life."

"That sounds nice," Lauren said honestly. Whatever her feelings were for her mom she was proud of her for breaking away from her father and building a new life.

"Losing you taught me appearances and money aren't important. Family is what matters."

Lauren put the jar down, giving her a cold look. "Well, I don't know what to say to that…good, I guess. You've finally learned a hard lesson."

"I've made many mistakes." She hesitated for a few seconds, as if debating whether or not to say something further. "I always had a very particular idea of what kind of man I wanted you to marry. Someone who would make a good father and take care of you."

Lauren huffed, releasing a humorless laugh. "Well, I have a great marriage and a WOMAN that loves me. And she takes care of me, such excellent care of me. And I take care of her. Maybe it's not what you pictured for me, but I'm very happy." She glared at her mother, daring her to say something about Bo. If she said a single bad thing about her wife, she would turn her back on her and never look back again.

"I'm glad. Bo is a very vibrant woman. She's good to you, and you're lucky to have such a great love."

Crossing her arms, Lauren shot her a disbelieving look.

Her mother sighed in response to Lauren's expression. "I was wrong about her. I can admit that." She fidgeted with her hands, looking uncomfortable. "I knew something was off as you were growing up. You were never interested in boys…but you were so feminine, so pretty…it's not like you played with toy soldiers, climbed trees or dressed in boys clothes…you were never masculine…"

Lauren took offense to that but opted not to correct her overly generalized view of the world and people. For her mother, everything was about appearances. Both her parents had wanted to create the perfect image of a family, all else be damned. Little wonder that she worshiped her grandmother, who understood the meaning of unconditional love.

"It didn't make sense to me that you would prefer women."

Lauren's eyebrows shot up. "Prefer? It's not about preference for me."

Norma was very quiet, and Lauren could tell she was thinking. Finally, she sighed and said, "I don't know the right words. But I am trying to learn and understand, to be supportive. I don't claim to know much about the same-sex lifestyle. I'm from a different generation, and I've never known any gay or lesbian people. Not in a real way."

"Besides your own daughter." Lauren shot back with venom in her voice.

Norma flinched at Lauren's hostility. "I was blinded by my own ignorance, and deep-rooted biases, but that's no excuse. When you first started dating girls, I honestly thought it was something you would grow out of, once the novelty of it wore off, and that was wrong. It was shameful, and I regret how I treated you. It was my own selfishness that drove you away."

Lauren was speechless for a moment. "I'm happy you've had this epiphany, but it's a lot for me to take in after so many years. So forgive me if I'm a little wary of your words."

"I know that building trust between us will take time, but I want to show you that I've changed and that I'm ready to be supportive."

Their food appeared in front of them. Lauren's stomach was so tense that she didn't even want to eat, so she picked at her salad. Her mind was going in circles thinking about her mother's words, and what that meant going forward. She never imagined she would apologize and want a relationship, Lauren had assumed that door was closed for forever.

Norma began digging into her food and excitedly telling Lauren about her jam business and how her friend's grandchildren helped her sell on the weekends. She was obviously trying to make small talk and Lauren did her best to seem interested, and nodded along.

"Are you and Bo thinking about having children?" Norma smiled at her and tried to act casual about asking such a personal question.

"No." Lauren didn't elaborate further. She was as uncomfortable about the kid topic as ever and didn't want to talk to her mother, of all people, about it.

Norma's fork paused midway to her mouth. "Oh." She seemed sad, disappointed. "Is it because you're against adoption? Or…"

"I'm absolutely not against adoption." Lauren cut her off defensively. "I believe family doesn't have to be made by blood. Family is whom you choose. Anyway, kids aren't on my mind right now." She gave a little shrug. "I'm not sure I want children. Ever."

Her mother stared across the restaurant with a ghostly look on her face. "I'm sad to hear that."

Dyson asked Lauren once if she was afraid to have kids because of the type of parents she had. She realized, looking at her mother, talking with her, that was partly true. But like most things in life it wasn't that straightforward, it wasn't the whole reason.

Honesty poured out of Lauren. "I need to be a hundred percent certain it's what I want because the last thing I want is to resent my child and make him or her feel unwanted. It's really unfortunate that not all parents truly love their children." Lauren and her mother looked at each other, Lauren's meaning clear. "And I would never bring a baby into my world until I was positive I could give that child all the love he or she deserves. So, no, I'm not ready to think about children."

Norma averted her gaze, looking uncomfortable. "I'm sorry if I overstepped."

"That question has become a popular refrain among the people in my life." Lauren shrugged, rolling her eyes. "Everyone seems to have an opinion about it."

"You'll figure it out." Her mother told her. "No one path is right for everyone."

"You really believe that?"

"If you asked five years ago, no, but now I understand everyone finds happiness in their own way."

As Lauren considered that her phone chirped with a text. While her mother ate her salad, Lauren checked it. It was from Bo: _I'm thinking of you_. She smiled because she knew Bo sent that message as a gesture in solidarity, of kindness, as a reminder that she was loved.

Lauren was still thinking about Bo, when her mother said out of nowhere, "As a little girl you felt everything so deeply. You always had such a kind heart." Norma smiled, lost in a memory. "You found a dog running around the neighborhood with three legs. You were ten, I think, or maybe nine, but you fashioned a prosthetic limb for the animal out of wood and old toy parts. It rolled, had wheels and everything so that the dog could run with the other animals. Do you remember that?"

Lauren thought back and recalled that day clearly. "I remember my father told me I was wasting my time and to leave the dog alone because he was dirty, and probably had fleas."

Norma visibly cringed at Lauren's answer, and then her shoulders slumped. "Do you have any good memories from your childhood?"

"Yes. With my grandmother and Dyson. My Nana was the person who helped instill a true kind of confidence in myself, the one who taught me to stand tall for what I believed in and to be myself no matter what."

"I'm glad you had someone in your life who gave you what you needed. A real role model to look up to."

When Lauren was younger, and went to her grandmother with questions, she told her that it was okay for girls to be girlfriends and boys to be boyfriends. That love was beautiful and came in many different shapes and forms, and that Lauren would know love when she felt it, and even if that person was a girl, it was okay. And she believed it with all her heart because her Nana had said it. Her parents, mostly her father, tried to mess with her head, but she was stronger, more confident in herself because of the support she had received from her grandmother. With that in mind, she made a mental note to call her and thank her. Although her grandmother was in her mid-eighties, and had a few health problems over the years, she still traveled the world, living her life to the fullest and the way she wanted, and Lauren admired her for that.

"So what now? For us?"

Lauren let out a breath, still somewhat suspicious of the sudden change in her mother's personality. But she seemed to acknowledge her mistakes. She was more self-aware than Lauren had ever seen her, which was a start. "I have no clue. But the relationship we had, I'm done with that."

"You're a grown woman now and don't need a mother. But I would love to try to be something to you."

"I need you to prove yourself. Changing your ways won't fix everything. It can't take away all those years of heartache and disappointment."

"I know. But I'll show you I'm a changed woman." Her eyes held hope as she spoke.

"If you want to try to get to know each other, I'm open to it. But it will be slow and on my terms, or not at all. And you will have to apologize to Bo."

"I will." Lauren's mother looked visibly relieved as she said, "Thank you for the second chance, Lauren. I won't let you down."

XXXXXX

Bo climbed out of her car, and her phone beeped with a message. She saw the text was from Lauren to say she was back at work, and that she would fill Bo in about her meeting with her mother at home. She sent back a message asking if Lauren was okay. Lauren pinged back a yes. Accepting that she would have to wait until later to get the full story, Bo shoved the phone into her pocket and walked down the grass away from her car.

There were flowers all over the grave, and the smell was overwhelming. Under the sun of the late afternoon, Bo stared at all the bouquets for a long time. They looked fresh, which didn't surprise Bo. Her father had been well liked; she knew there were many strangers that were grieving him along with her family.

Bo feared coming to the cemetery might rip her wounds wide open again. It was impossible to look at the gravestone celebrating the life of her father without feeling the loss, but she had promised Kenzi she would come, so there she stood.

Bo squeezed her eyes shut,aware that one of those graves could have been hers if things had turned out differently in the basement with Doug. She jerked her mind out of those dark thoughts and focused on Harvey. "Hey, Dad." She kneeled down in front of Harvey's grave and put a hand on the cold stone. She felt a little silly talking to the gravestone, but she kept talking anyway. She recapped the events, telling him she had solved his murder, and promised that Clayton would pay for what he'd done.

"Hey."

Bo's head snapped around, her eyes landing on Kenzi's belly first, and then she caught her eyes. "This feels weird." She said, referring to talking to the grave.

"It is weird." Kenzi fixed her sister with a mournful gaze. "But I think it helps a little to say things out loud."

Kenzi eased herself down into the grass, and Bo wrapped a supportive arm around her shoulder. They were silent for a long while, lost in thoughts and memories that were stirred up in them.

Slowly, Kenzi ran her fingers over the letters of his name. "What's happening with the case?"

Bo picked up a stick and began drawing circles in the grass as she filled Kenzi in with the latest updates. When she was done she added. "Looks like Paris was telling the truth about the money, but it might take the FBI a while to recover all of it."

"I would give it all away if I could bring our dad back."

"I know. Me too." Bo said sincerely, and then she tossed down the stick and looked at Kenzi. Despite her disappointment with her father, Bo knew she did love him, and she did miss him. And her heart would always hurt that Harvey would never meet his grandson.

"Speaking of money, what are we going to do with his estate? Our childhood home."

"What do you think?" Bo asked, surprised by the question. She had assumed they would finish cleaning it out and sell it, but clearly, Kenzi had something else in mind.

"Seems like we'll have enough money to keep it now. If that's what we want."

"Is that what you want?" Bo asked, but she could see the answer in Kenzi's eyes.

"It is. It's an important part of our history, our family. I don't want to sell it."

"Then we won't sell. We can keep it going together."

"I want to live there. Is that okay with you?"

"Absolutely fine with me." Bo answered, not even needing a moment to think at all. She had zero interest in living in her father's house, and no problem if Kenzi wanted to.

The sisters fell silent again. Looking around at the hundreds of headstones of strangers, Bo felt a little sad. She wished that their mother had been buried next to Harvey, but she had been cremated and her ashes spread. She realized she didn't know where. She'd never asked and her father had never told her. She felt a pang of regret again for not demanding to know more about her. Maybe she had assumed there would always be more time to ask those questions, maybe she didn't want to know, or maybe, and the most likely, she had always been more caught up in her own life, her own problems to seek those answers.

"Should we?" Kenzi asked, interrupting Bo's thoughts.

Bo's eyes dropped to the journal Kenzi was holding. "You brought the journal."

Nodding, Kenzi handed it to Bo. "Will you read it?"

Gingerly, Bo took the journal from Kenzi's hands. She felt strangely reluctant to move her gaze down to the page, but she was also too curious not to look. After a deep breath, she began to read her father's words:

" _A dear friend told me I should write down some of my thoughts, what I feel and how I see the world. He said if I became the successful man I wanted, having a record of my life would be important later. So, I am going to keep a journal, and I hope to be faithful about writing in it."_

Bo read as Harvey recapped some childhood memories. His parents had died when he was sixteen, and after that he had been forced to live on his own because he had no family anywhere to speak of. The passages were short and without much emotion like it had been painful for him to write about it.

" _It was a late Friday night when my life really began. I was nineteen and working as a busboy at a small restaurant. After my parents died, I had to hustle, utilizing every spare moment I had to earn money in order to pay for a few college courses. Growing up poor, I dreamed of success every day. I wanted nothing more than to be someone important, to improve the world. Success was all I thought about until one girl changed my life. My shift was almost over when a group of girls walked in, and the sight of one girl stopped me in my tracks. She stood out in the group of gorgeous women like a shining, burning star. I'd never been so bowled over by a girl, or woman in my life. The second I saw her I knew she would be my wife…."_

Bo stopped reading and slowly lifted her gaze to Kenzi, saddened to see a gleam of tears in her eyes.

"Our mom," Kenzi said, in a choked voice, overwhelmed by the realization that her father had written about their mother.

Bo looked down at the journal, and thoughtfully fingered a page of it. "Do you want me to keep reading?"

Kenzi rested her head on Bo's shoulder and closed her eyes. "Please."

Bo turned to the next entry.

" _As I worked I watched the table of girls, focusing on only one. Mary. Her name was Mary. She laughed a lot. More than anyone I had ever known. When she looked at me for the first time every single thought abandoned me, all my confidence fell away, all the air left my body. But soon I went over to her, prepared to talk to her, to get to know her. I had to. At that point, I was running on pure adrenaline fueled by the gut feeling that we were meant to be together. Sure it was silly, I didn't know her at all, but I couldn't let the moment slip me by. As I approached the table, she looked up at me, and said, "Hi." My stomach did a nervous flip, and I tried to talk, but all I could do was smile back. Mary had made me speechless. Another first for me. Staring at her, I felt like an idiot. A self-conscious, tongue-tied idiot. Finally, I found my voice and croaked out, "I'm Jack." To her credit, she didn't laugh in my face for my awkwardness. Instead, she smiled and introduced herself."_

Bo continued to read out loud, her father recounting how he had asked her on a date, how on their first date he had taken her to see E.T. at the drive in, how they began seeing each other almost daily after that. Not all of it had been about their mother, though. Harvey had included a few scribbled random thoughts, his plans for the future, things he was passionate about. Bo noted that even at a young age Harvey had been caught up in his ambitions, he clearly had a belief that he had a higher purpose. Bo could feel his energy, his aspirations for his career, for his life. Yet despite that their mother had been at the heart of it all. In his words, Harvey spoke of the deep love he had felt for their mother.

Kenzi was wiping her eyes as Bo turned the page and stopped. "Sounds like he loved her a lot."

"Yeah." Bo sighed, her heart broke a little for her father, who had known great love but also lost that very person because of his own mistake. Knowing about the accident had opened Bo's eyes to why her father had been less than forthcoming in sharing stories about her. He wouldn't have wanted to be reminded of his mistakes, of the loss, but she still believed it had been a selfish decision to hide the truth.

As if reading Bo's mind, Kenzi looked at her and said, "Considering how things ended, it was probably too painful for him to talk about her. That accident would have messed anyone up. He wanted to protect us from the pain of knowing the truth."

Bo wasn't surprised that was still Kenzi's viewpoint. Her sister had an idealized view of their father, but Bo was still bitterly disappointed with him. "I don't believe he kept his secret to protect us," She said, frowning down at the journal like it had offended her. "It was all about him."

"But he kept this journal and wrote the letter. He knew we'd come across it one day."

Bo kept her eyes on the page. She considered protesting against that, but she knew it would be wasted breath. To her, him hiding the journal away, only to be discovered after his death, was just more evidence of his cowardice, but Kenzi clearly saw things differently. "Should we finish?"

"Yes."

" _As I write this very entry, I don't think I can begin to describe everything I'm feeling. But one thing I know is that I don't think I could possibly be happier. I can't believe that, without a doubt, I'm the luckiest man in the world. Since meeting Mary, so much had changed so quickly that it's almost hard to believe. I'm engaged to the best woman in the world. Thinking about it now we were awfully silly and dramatic during our courtship, but also crazy in love. She is kind, generous, so much fun to be around, so full of spunk. I love when she gently takes my hand and walks with me. The way she teases me when I get caught up reading and forget about everything else around me. The way her eyes sparkle when she talks to me about wanting a house full of children. We both lost our parents young, and she's eager to build a family of our own. I had never thought much about having children, but listening to her I began to see the wonderful vision she had in mind. So her dream became my dream…"_

Bo continued until she came to the very last page.

" _The wedding is a blur in my mind, but the bit I remember most clearly is dancing with my new wife, standing under the stars, swaying to the soft music. We danced and danced and danced. I never wanted it to end. She's a great woman to share my life with. Whatever happens next, I know I will always remember that feeling. For the rest of my days, I will cherish that happiness, the pure love that filled my heart. And someday, when we have our house full of children, I wish the same for them: a single moment in time when nothing but love mattered."_

Slowly, Bo closed the journal and turned to Kenzi. "That's it."

"I wonder why he stopped writing."

"Maybe he got too busy. Around that time he would have been building his fortune, and laying the foundation for his political career." Bo said, unable to keep the bitter edge out of her voice.

"I wish we could know more of their story." Kenzi sighed, putting the journal back into her bag after Bo handed it to her. "It would've been nice to have known Jack and Mary."

Bo got up and stretched out her muscles, before offering a hand to Kenzi to help her up.

The glow that usually radiated on Kenzi's face since getting pregnant was back as she said, "I know he did a terrible thing, by hiding the truth, but I know he loved us, and he loved our mom."

Bo smiled at her sister. They might have different personalities, see their father differently, but they would always have a deep bond that could never be broken. No matter what they disagreed on. She wrapped her arm around Kenzi's shoulder. "One thing's for sure our father was a complicated man, with a complicated story. And what's done is done. We have to accept it and move on." Even as she said those words, Bo knew that was easier said than done. But she vowed to take a page out of Lauren's book, and not stew in regret and anger over the past, which she couldn't control. The past was done, and she was ready to look forward to the future. "Let's go. I would like some more one-on-one time with you."

 **XXXXX**

 **AN**

 **Sorry about the long wait for an update.**

 **Thanks for reading and reviewing :)**


	18. Chapter 18

Bo sat in the corner of the kitchen and pretended to look at her laptop while Lauren and Norma talked and cooked together. She never expected Lauren's mother would actually be inside their home, let alone making jam or something with Lauren. She was eavesdropping, and she wasn't proud of it. But she still didn't trust this new Norma, and she couldn't stop herself from hovering over Lauren a bit.

Two days before she'd been released to full-time duty at work, but she hadn't gotten assigned to a new investigation, so she was going through some cold cases and doing some research. She was supposed to be searching for holes in the investigative process, for pieces that might have been ignored. But not at that moment, at that moment, she was busy giving Norma the stink eye from across the kitchen. She knew she was being childish but that woman had been in their house for hours, and Bo was anxious for her to leave, so she could spend some uninterrupted time with her wife.

"Do you enjoy cooking, Lauren?" Norma asked pulling a giant pot off the burner to allow it to cool.

"Yes." Lauren nodded her head. "When I have the time." She gave a small smile. "At its core, cooking is science, so it's something I've always been naturally interested in. But I've never made jam before."

"I'm glad I could teach my brilliant daughter something new." She gave Lauren a little smile, and Bo tried not to roll her eyes at Norma. "I love experimenting with new flavors. It's fun, and the inspiration lifts my spirits."

"I'm glad you've found something that makes you happy."

Norma twinkled at Lauren. "I'm certainly more content now than when I was married. It's scary to restart your life in your fifties, and this little business is the perfect thing to keep me moving and busy."

They chatted more about her business, and Lauren's work before Norma excused herself to go to the restroom. Bo glanced up and watched her leave the room and took the opportunity to go to Lauren at the stove. She sauntered toward Lauren, a sensual, and determined gait to her step.

But Bo's sexy walk was wasted on Lauren because she didn't notice her approach. Bo cleared her throat to get her attention. Lauren turned with a spoon in hand and a streak of dark purple jam across her cheek, which, of course, Bo wanted to lick right off.

"Wanna taste?" A teasing glint lit Lauren's gaze as she held the spoon up.

Bo swallowed a groan. "That's the sort of question that puts ideas into my head." She leaned in and ignored the spoon to kiss the jam from her cheek. "Tasty."

Lauren laughed as Bo gave her a gentle tug, to bring her as close to her as she could get her. Her arms circled around her quickly, and then she laid her lips over Lauren's.

Bo was a sensuous woman, comfortable and demonstrative in her love. Not worried one bit about kissing Lauren when her mother was in the next room. It was their home after all. And they were married and in love. If Bo wanted to kiss Lauren in their kitchen she would.

When Bo finally released her, Lauren went to the sink and started cleaning the spoon off. Bo's entire mood seemed to shift suddenly, and Lauren asked, "So, do you want to tell me what's on your mind?"

Honesty had to come first, Bo told herself. She tried to express her thoughts as gently as she could. "Look, I get that you want to move on and have a relationship with your mom now. But don't you think you're moving a little fast here."

Lauren's hands froze beneath the water. She glanced up at Bo and saw worry in her eyes. "No. I don't believe so. She's only in town for another week, and then she's flying home. We talked about what happened, and I told you I wanted to give her a chance."

Bo held up her hands in a pacifying gesture. "Fine, sorry, pick another topic. We'll talk about anything you like."

Lauren's expression softened with all the tenderness only she could give. "Bo, don't worry about me." She shut off the water and grabbed a towel. "I'm only getting to know her like I promised."

Bo had a look on her face Lauren knew well. It was the one she got when she shifted into protective cop mode, or more accurately protective wife mode.

"As if I could stop worrying about you," Bo spoke through clenched teeth, trying to remain calm. "It's not like I can switch it off, I love you to bits."

Naturally, Lauren understood why Bo was being cautious about her mom. She knew it wasn't going to be an easy situation to rectify for any of them. "Something's changed. She is different."

Bo forced a smile. "You can't know that after one conversation."

Lauren leaned her back against the counter, her eyes trained on the towel clenched between her hands. "Right. But I want to give her the opportunity to prove she's changed. How can I do that without seeing her?" She lifted her eyes to Bo's away from the towel. "Is forgiveness such a bad thing?"

Bo's forced smile grew natural. Giving Norma a chance mattered to Lauren, so it also mattered to Bo, despite her reservations. Part of her thought Lauren was letting Norma off too easily. But she understood that her negativity wouldn't do Lauren any good. "Okay, babe. Spend some time with your mom."

Lauren reached out and played with Bo's fingers with her fingertips. "All I want to do is draw a line between now and the past. Move on, if we can."

Lauren rubbed her fingers, an absent-minded caress that soothed Bo. "I shouldn't be so cynical when you're being all open-hearted and compassionate." Bo caught her hand and drew it up to her lips to kiss her knuckles. "She's not my favorite person, and I wouldn't give her the time of day. But I can see how things might be different for you. I'm going to take all my cues from you and give you whatever support you need. You let me know if you need my help and I'll be there."

"Thank you for trusting my judgment."

Smiling, Bo cupped Lauren's face between her palms, and kissed her. She made it fast, just a quick couple presses of her lips to Lauren's, then leaned away so she could see her face. "I think I'm going to go for a run."

Lauren arched a quizzical eyebrow, and then understanding dawned on her. Bo was giving her some time alone with her mom. She was respecting her decision and giving her a little space. "Have fun." She gave her a light slap on her backside, causing a laugh to bubble up from Bo's chest.

With that, Bo grabbed her earphones and phone and headed to the front door. Once outside she ran hard. She stared at the ground as she pushed her body forward. The wind struck her in the face, but she still sweated under the hot sun. Too much tension had been building up in her, and she needed to work through it. And running was a fantastic way to burn off her frustration. Her mind drifted away from Norma and zeroed in on Clayton. She used that anger to propel herself faster.

After two hours of running and a few miles covered, she headed back to the house, drenched in sweat, her limbs relaxed and her head clear.

Bo entered the house and found only Norma in the kitchen. Inwardly, she grumbled as her tension came flooding back. She had hoped that she might have left while she was gone. After toweling off her sweat, she opened one of the jars on the table and tore off a hunk of bread. She decided to reward herself for her long run. As she layered the thick jam on the bread, Norma approached her. They stood there in horrible, awkward silence for a moment.

"I'm sorry about your father." Norma's voice was gentle and full of sympathy. "I wanted to go to the funeral but I didn't feel my presence would have been appropriate."

Bo didn't look up at her as she sank her teeth into the bread. "It's fine. Don't worry about it." She mumbled out around the food.

"It must be hard losing your father like that."

"The world doesn't stop turning, right?" Bo said like a smartass. She didn't want Norma's pity. She wasn't interested in that at all. She was being purposefully bratty, and she didn't feel bad about it.

Bo kept her head down, and her eyes averted, not wanting the conversation to go any further. If Norma was offended by Bo's actions, she didn't show it. Instead, she kept a soft, friendly tone as she said, "My daughter's lucky to have you. You're a good woman."

Bo tilted her head to one side and then the other, considering her next words. "Look, be straight with me. Are you sick, are you dying? Is that why you're here? Why you're pushing your way back into Lauren's life?"

Norma's eyes bugged, she looked confused and caught off guard. "No, obviously, I'm not getting any younger, but I'm perfectly healthy. I'm here because I love my daughter."

There was sadness on Norma's face. It was apparent to Bo that she had some remorse, but at that moment Bo didn't have any empathy for her. She chose to treat Lauren horribly for years, and a few 'I'm sorries' didn't change that.

"You have a funny way of showing it." Bo stuffed a piece of bread in her mouth to try to stop herself from saying more.

Norma blinked, lowered her lashes in shame. "I've missed out on so many moments in Lauren's life, like your wedding. And I don't want to waste any more time. Miss any more important moments."

Bo looked her straight in the eye as she finished chewing the bread. "I. Don't. Trust. You. The fact remains: you were a shitty mother for thirty years. People don't change overnight."

Norma was quiet for a long time. "That's a simplified view of the situation."

The flash of protective anger happened so quickly that Bo couldn't buffer it. "Okay, fine. What I do know is that you are an overly opinionated bigot." When the words left her mouth, she mentally slapped herself. As a seasoned cop, she should have more control over herself than to blurt out whatever popped into her head. She forced her lips to peel back into an apologetic smile. "Sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. But…it's Lauren. I don't want her getting hurt."

"Don't apologize. You're right about my past behavior. It was awful. I have a lot to make up for, and I'm sorry I never gave your relationship with my daughter the respect it deserved. I hope you'll accept my apology. I'm truly sorry for the way I've treated you and her."

There was sincerity in the way Norma said it, and regret for the past. Bo closed her eyes for a beat, realizing her behavior was crossing a line because she had just told Lauren that she would support her decision about her mom. And honestly, Norma did seem different. But could she really have changed so completely? Was she truly committed to being a better person? Or were there relics from the past lurking in her character? She met her gaze, and let out a heavy breath in an attempt to stay calm and remain civil. "I only care about Lauren's well-being. Maybe your words are genuine, which I'm still not sure about, but I will follow Lauren's lead on this."

"I'm not going to hurt her again. She blessed me with a second chance, and I don't have any intention of hurting her again."

"Alright, I accept your apology, but you better treat Lauren a whole lot better than you have in the past. There is no third chance for you."

As Bo spoke, her phone vibrated, so she looked at the screen. After reading the message, she walked away from Norma not giving her a chance to respond and called for Lauren.

Lauren came back into the room and took a scan of Bo's face. "What's wrong?"

"They're moving in on Clayton," Bo told her, mentally calculating how long it would take her to shower and get to the station. "I have to go."

Lauren stopped, feeling that flutter in her stomach, which always claimed her when she knew Bo would be doing something potentially dangerous. "Be safe." She said tenderly as she slowly walked to meet Bo halfway.

Sensing Lauren's discomfort, Bo kissed her to reassure her. "I will. I promise."

XXXXXX

Two hours later, Bo stood with Hale while the FBI agent in charge briefed them on the plan for getting Clayton. The FBI task force had been ready to move in on Clayton days ago, but the DA wouldn't let them. She had wanted more evidence to be sure there would be a successful prosecution. But much to everyone's surprise Paris had convinced Clayton's head of security to come forward. He had given them everything they needed to arrest Clayton, including the location of Rainer's body. It didn't absolve Paris of her responsibility in what happened, in Bo's eyes, but she had to admit she had been useful in getting them to the point of arresting Clayton.

Once they all knew the plan, they made their way to Clayton's office and straight past his startled receptionist. Clayton slowly rose as they barged into his inner sanctum.

"What's the meaning of this?" He said as the three other men in the room shifted around to look at Bo and the team of agents.

Bo walked forward with her hand on the butt of her weapon. "As promised, I'm here to arrest you."

"On what charge?"

Bo pulled out a notebook and began listing the charges against him, including the murder of her father. Under the criminal code the solicitation of murder and committing murder carried the same sentence. In the eyes of the law, it didn't matter whether or not he did the act himself, by ordering his employees to carry out the murder he was guilty.

As Clayton blustered in protest and the murmurs began around the table, Bo lifted her voice over them. "I'm sure that once we dig a little deeper, we'll be adding other charges to the list." She said smugly, tucking her notebook into her back pocket.

Clayton's mouth fell open for a second before he quickly recovered his composure. "You can't come in here and accuse me of these egregious charges without an ounce of proof to back up your claims."

"Oh, I've got proof." Bo stepped around the massive table to cuff him. "You have the right to remain silent." She dragged Clayton's arms behind his back, cuffed him as she recited the Miranda warning. The other people in the room fell into stunned silence watching the proceedings before them.

"What proof do you have?"

"Your daughter Paris and your head of security are fully prepared to testify against you," Bo leaned closer to his ear. "You've lost all your control over them."

His cockiness vanished. He swallowed and looked around nervously. "In exchange for what?"

"That's not your concern. Just know that you're going to spend the rest of your life in prison."

Clayton's eyes flashed to Bo, his expression looked as if it had just registered with him that life as he knew it, pampered, privileged, successful was over. "You fucking whore!" He said, jerking against the restraints.

"Now, now, Mr. Reed sticks and stones…"

Clayton's face went red with outrage. "I'm going to sue this city and the police department, and I'll have your badge, you bitch!"

"Good luck with that," Bo responded coolly, pushing him forward.

She turned him over to the federal agents. They marched him out of the building, past stunned onlookers and a few thrilled news photographers. Within minutes, agents stowed him in the back of an unmarked sedan and whisked him away.

Outside the office building, the scene erupted with more bystanders, taking pictures, jumping on social media. Within minutes the news of Clayton's arrest would be all over the place. That made Bo smile.

Through all the chaos, Bo spotted Hale. He came toward her, his face and body relaxed.

"Excellent work, Bo, as always."

"I'm glad to put this one behind me." Bo breathed out, her heart beating rapidly from the adrenaline rush of the arrest.

"I bet." Hale patted her lightly on the back. "The evidence against him is overwhelming." He reminded her, and Bo flashed him a weak smile in response. "You'll get the credit for solving this, and maybe a promotion. Lieutenant Dennis has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

Bo's face fell just as her body went stiff. She knew Hale might be disappointed when she handed in her resignation. But her decision was made, and she didn't plan on changing her mind.

Fortunately, Hale spoke again saving Bo from having to reply to his well-meaning statement.

"I guess I should get prepared to brief the media."

Bo cringed as she thought about standing in front of cameras taking questions from reporters. She was relieved Hale was saving her from having to do it. "Have fun with that."

Hale huffed out a laugh as he turned and walked away from her.

Leaning against her car, Bo took a moment in the fading daylight to breathe in the warm air and absorb the satisfaction of her father's case being successfully closed. Clayton Reed was a criminal, a villain really. He was power-hungry and selfish and didn't care whom he stepped on, or killed, to get his way. Thinking about Harvey's senseless death, Bo slipped into pensive mode. Quickly she caught herself, straightened up and climbed into her car. On her drive back to the station, she first called her sister, and then Lauren to give them an update.

XXXXX

"Do you need to take that?" Lauren asked when Evony looked at her phone again.

Evony typed on her phone for a few seconds. "All handled." She said, tucking the phone away. She briskly moved across the floor in her four and a half inch Louboutins and Lauren followed in her wake. She pushed open the rainbow-colored double doors. "Over here is the centerpiece of the new Pediatric Center." She waved her arm in a broad gesture as she spoke. "It opened last fall."

Lauren took in the massive play center, the brightly colored walls, and the state-of-the-art equipment. Soft music played throughout the area. It seemed like every detail had been considered to create the perfect environment for both the children and their parents. It could not have been more unlike the noisy hustle and bustle of the rest of the hospital. "Impressive."

"It's all very cutting edge." Evony beamed with pride, watching Lauren take in all the sights around her. "We've done a lot of exciting things around here since you left."

"I see that." Lauren responded. She was at the hospital fulfilling her promise, which she'd made a while ago, to meet with Evony about a job. Evony had been giving her a tour of the hospital, which Lauren had to admit was a more effective way to get her interested in returning than meeting with her in a office. Walking around the hospital Lauren couldn't stop from picturing herself working there. And she knew that had been Evony's goal.

"On Thursday afternoons we have someone come in and play music for all the children," Evony explained, apparently wanting to impress Lauren even more. "And once a month we have a local theater group come and put on a show."

"That's amazing."

"We're a large hospital, but we're committed to building a tight-knit community within it." Evony lightly took hold of Lauren's elbow and gently directed her toward the left to show her more of the ward.

"I imagine the parents appreciate the nonclinical environment that's been created for the children." Lauren mused out loud. "A nonthreatening atmosphere would definitely make their experience, at least, a little less stressful."

"That's the goal, Dr. Lewis."

They strode along and Evony kept talking about all the changes in the hospital and their plans for the future. Lauren nodded along, taking in the ward and Evony's words. Honestly, it all sounded exciting, but she still remained hesitant.

"I heard through the grapevine that your grant request was denied," Evony stated out of nowhere.

Lauren sighed, her eyebrows pulling together in a small frown. It was true. She'd invested a lot of time in trying to get that money to continue her research, but, in the end, the board felt that by investing in a bigger operation, their funds would be put to better use. "Tiny setback." She answered as indifferently as she could.

"Working here you wouldn't have to spend your time burdened by trying to secure funding," Evony commented matter-of-factly before she spun around and led Lauren to the NICU. Evony scanned her badge, and they entered the room together. An older doctor was standing next to an incubator, staring down at a preemie inside.

"Boy or girl?" Lauren asked, as she came up beside her and peered down at the bundle, hooked up to wires but alive.

"Girl." She answered, slinging her stethoscope around her neck as she straightened up. "I delivered her yesterday after I repaired her CPAM."

Lauren knelt down and looked at the preemie through the glass. "Congenital pulmonary airway malformation."

The doctor gave her a quick, albeit piercing, once-over. "That's correct."

Evony took advantage of the momentary silence to introduce them. "Dr. Lewis, this is Dr. Everett the head of our Maternal-fetal medicine unit."

Lauren's eyes widened with recognition, she rose quickly to look the other doctor in the eye. "Dr. Everett, I've read all your papers. It's an honor." She extended her arm to the doctor.

Lauren found herself on the receiving end of a handshake that was both firm and confident, but also a warm smile.

"Are you a pediatric surgeon?" Dr. Everett questioned releasing Lauren's hand.

Lauren shook her head. "No, but I've always had an interest in genetics, and evolving methodologies. The developments in perinatology are fascinating to read and learn about. I try to keep up to date on as many specialties as I can."

Dr. Everett looked at Lauren, her gaze studying her with greater interest. "Many pediatric issues start in utero. And as my specialty, and genetics advances we will be able to take care of many of those issues while the baby is still in the protective walls of the womb."

"Lauren's research has been focused on reversing the effects of Alzheimer's." Evony offered, glancing between the two doctors.

"That's a very challenging field and a very insidious disease." Dr. Everett paused to pick up the baby's chart. "May I ask why you chose to focus on it and not another disease? Do you have a family history?"

While Dr. Everett made notes on the chart, Lauren considered her question. When she finished writing, Dr. Everett glanced up and raised her eyebrows in question.

Collecting her thoughts, Lauren finally answered her. "No family history. When a person loses their memories, it robs them of their identity, their life. And family members are forced to watch as their loved one slowly slips away from them, years before their death." She chewed on her lip under the doctor's gaze, then caught herself as she added, "Some view Alzheimer's patients as old people with broken brains, and not worth the time or money to find a cure, and I find that heartbreaking."

"For what it's worth I think it's noble of you to dedicate yourself to researching a cure." Evony put in glancing at Lauren with admiration.

Lauren shrugged at that. "Not noble. I just believe if you have a gift and a talent you are meant to use that for the greater good."

Dr. Everett was quiet for a moment, as she put the chart back in place. "Why not dedicate yourself full time to research? You are clearly passionate about it."

"I guess I'm selfish. I love practicing medicine outside of the lab." Lauren smiled at the ground for a moment. "I suppose I'm one of those people that wants it all."

"That's not selfish," Evony said with intensity. "You're a doctor. Don't feel guilty about wanting to be in the fray."

After a few minutes more of talking, Dr. Everett's pager went off. She quickly checked the message, and smiled at Lauren. "I'll be keeping an eye on your career. I can see your potential, and I expect great things from you."

"Thank you, Dr. Everett, I appreciate that."

Walking out of the NICU, with Lauren at her side, Evony said, "As you know this hospital is a reputable operation. We're determined to get the right candidates to work here. And I have no doubt there would be zero hesitation in accepting you as part of our program."

Lauren paused outside the door and considered the prospect. "It's a lot to think about."

"I'm sure it is," Evony said guiding Lauren out of the pediatric ward.

Evony pushed open the door to the main thoroughfare toward the nurse's station. "But, consider, if you work for us, we could grant you access to all our cutting-edge research, better resources, and top-notch equipment." She leaned against the desk, silently assessing Lauren before proceeding. "Not to mention a sizable increase in income."

As Lauren scanned the medical staff out on the floor, she longed to be in the throng, helping. Doing what she did best. Practicing medicine. In and among the congestion, many faces were familiar to Lauren, from the staff to nurses she'd worked with years ago. She gave herself a moment to take it all in, the rush of rubber soled shoes, moving quickly with purpose across the floor, the sounds of equipment beeping, the scent of antiseptic alcohol in the air. Lauren missed that energy, the diversity of illnesses, the fast-paced lifestyle of working in a busy metropolis hospital. Her eyes landed on Tara, who was talking to a nurse. They exchanged a wave of hello before Lauren forced her attention back on Evony.

"I hope I've successfully seduced you," Evony said when their eyes met.

At that remark, Lauren instinctively took a step back and folded her arms over her chest. "I beg your pardon?"

Evony's mouth twitched with humor at Lauren's reaction. "I was speaking about the job, of course. Perhaps it was a poor choice of words."

Lauren bit back her retort, knowing better than to engage Evony when she was trying to get a reaction from her. She felt like she could never know the true version of Evony. Up to that point she had been professional, treating Lauren with respect. But she always seemed to circle back to making little comments that pushed Lauren's buttons.

Evony stood to her full height, putting back on her professional mask. "Would you like a tour of the Geriatric Unit?"

Lauren took a moment to check the time. She knew Bo would be working late because of Clayton Reed's arrest the day before, and she didn't have to start her shift at the clinic for a couple more hours, so she agreed to continue with the tour.

XXXXX

Clayton wouldn't talk, his lawyer put the muzzle on him quickly, and he put it on tight. The interrogation process was slow, and it was tiresome. The agents had allowed Bo to do the questioning as everyone acknowledged she would be the best person to get under his skin. During the questioning, there were brief moments when Bo thought he would burst, when his temper might tip the scales in her favor. But his lawyer would always get him back in control. She wasn't ready to give up. It was personal for her. She didn't want a long media-blitzed trial. A trial could go for years and years. She wanted a confession. She wanted it over.

Bo watched Clayton from across the table of the interrogation room. "How does someone like you get so corrupt, I wonder?" She asked, genuinely curious. "Is it only the power? Did you start off bad or was it a gradual moral and ethical breakdown?"

"My client would prefer you not speak to him directly. Keep all your questions and comments directed at me."

Clayton ignored the lawyer and smiled at Bo as if her question amused him. But soon his gaze frosted over. "Careful, Detective. The questions you ask…well, you might not like the answers."

"Sometimes evil's its own root, wouldn't you say, Mr. Reed?" Bo smirked, sat back, crossed one leg over the other. But her eyes stayed right on Clayton. "How many people have you killed? How many officials have you bribed?"

Bo felt his arrogance, his dismissal of her, when he said, "Good try, Detective, but I will keep all that close to the vest."

"We have your daughter on record," Bo stated calmly. But on the inside she wanted to scream and shake the sick bastard who sat in front of her. "She told us everything we needed to know to put all the pieces together."

Bo noted Clayton's eye twitched at the mention of Paris and decided taunting him about his daughter would be her best angle. Make it personal, make it about his loss of power, she told herself.

She shoved the paper across the table. Clayton's lawyer picked it up, studied it, his face cold with indifference. "This proves nothing. The deluded fantasies of a spoiled child." He said, sliding it back toward Bo.

"I'm afraid you've been fooled. My daughter is ambitious and more than a little greedy. She's trying to frame me, so she can get control of the family assets. No one will believe her over me." Clayton said with a nasty expression that Bo wanted to smack off his arrogant face.

To keep from doing that, Bo tapped her finger on the statement as she said, "You ordered your employees to kill Senator Dennis and Rainer. Which, as your lawyer knows, carries the same sentence as doing it yourself. It's all there in black and white, signed by YOUR daughter. And her statement is backed up by your head of security." She pulled out another paper and sat it in front of them.

Clayton shoved the paper away in revulsion. "Preposterous," He blurted out before his attorney lifted a hand to silence him. "Do you think wearing that badge makes you somebody?" An angry flush worked its way up from his neck to his hairline.

"Yeah." Bo leaned closer and grinned fiercely. "It makes me a cop. People look to me to provide answers. To bring justice to those who have been affected by crime, by people like you."

"Don't speak directly to my client." The lawyer warned again.

"He spoke directly to me. When he does that I'm free to respond." Bo spared the lawyer a glance then moved her eyes to Clayton. She could literally see him trying to calm himself down. She knew she was starting to shake him, and shake him hard.

"You're nothing. You're a silly little girl. I'm a powerful man." Clayton tugged at the edge of his orange prison uniform, glaring at Bo. "You'll never be what I am."

Bo snorted out a laugh. "And I'm very thankful for that. For, one thing, I'm much smarter than you." She threw her hands up, gesturing around. "And in this room I have all the POWER." She was provoking him, waiting for him to break.

Clayton took a sharp breath in and out of his nose as Bo continued to stare him down.

For the next hour, Bo reiterated what happened to Harvey and Rainer step by step, starting with Paris' scheme to steal Harvey's money, using her words as she did to highlight all the times she had kept things from him. To make it personal.

Eyes on Clayton, Bo kept her voice and body language almost casual as she said, "We've got you nailed. You tried to cover up your murder of Senator Dennis by making it appear like he had a heart attack. To cover your tracks you blackmailed the medical examiner. Finally, you ordered your men to kill Rainer, your daughter's lover."

Clayton's eyes darted left and right. His breathing grew hard and fast. It pleased Bo to see she was getting a reaction out of him. It also encouraged her to continue. She had him on edge, and just needed to keep going until she pushed him over.

"I don't like your tone, Detective." The lawyer protested, working to get Bo's attention on him and away from his client.

"So noted for the record." Bo shot back with an eye roll.

"It's a shock, isn't it?" Bo paused for effect. "All that control you thought you had on your family, on your staff. You really believed none of them would turn on you." She pulled out a photo of Paris and Rainer taken at the Reed campaign headquarters and slid it toward him. She saw him swallow. "But your own daughter disobeyed you and carried on an affair with a man you forbade her to see. She wanted to run away with her lover. But you killed him instead."

"I didn't kill anyone," Clayton denied, he dropped his eyes onto the photo with a sneer on his face. Bo was getting to him. That was clear.

"What bothers you more? The fact that your daughter lied to you or that you don't control her as much as you thought you did? I mean, now she has all the power, and she is going to ruin you…send you to prison for life."

The lawyer puffed up. "Detective Dennis, you're out of line."

Bo never took her eyes from Clayton, and ignoring the lawyer's warning, kept baiting him. "It must have been exciting for you. Made you feel so powerful, so invincible. To murder a senator, and get away with it. But, you see, you will be brought to trial, and you'll be convicted. Wow, you're laughable. Pathetic. Weak." She drew out the last two words for emphasis. She watched as he rubbed his hands over his jaw. Possibly trying to douse his burning anger. "Turns out money can't always buy silence, obedience."

Clayton hurtled a mouthful of vile curses at Bo. Rage was good. Bo could use rage. It clouded the mind and if she could keep him in that headspace, she could get what she needed. She couldn't give him time to think, to clear his head she had to keep going.

To keep it rolling, Bo shifted back and said, "For all your scheming, for all your wealth, you're going to rot in a cell, along with your son, knowing your daughter and the daughter of the man you killed put you there. It's a little poetic, don't you think?" She smiled as she paused, letting those words sink in. "You will be stripped of all your power, your wealth, your control. You will die as nothing more than a number. Brought down by a couple of "little" girls." Her fingers tapped the table, fast, then slower. "You're done. You're over."

"I say when it's done!" Clayton sprang to his feet, but Bo didn't flinch. "If you two little bitches think I can't get to you from the inside you are mistaken." Disgust surfaced, mudding his voice. "I have the power to get things done….I will terminate you like the cockroach you are." He was yelling so hard that spittle flew from his mouth.

"Mr. Reed, stop." His lawyer ordered, horrified. "Sit down and stop."

"I have all the power." Clayton spat without looking or listening to his lawyer. "Haven't I proved that? I'm all powerful." He trembled, not from fear, Bo knew. But from rage. "You will not take away what I've spend a lifetime building. Your father tried that and now look where he is."

Bo sensed her opportunity, that she had him right on the edge, and seized it. "Clayton Reed, did you conspire to murder Harvey Dennis and Rainer?"

He threw his shoulders back, his head high. "You're damn right, I did. I protected myself, my reputation, my campaign. I had every right to protect what's mine." He continued even as his lawyer ordered him to stay quiet. "I should have killed you after you arrested my son the first time."

Bingo, Bo thought not hiding the satisfaction on her face. "Yeah, guess so. You missed that opportunity."

"Mr. Reed, you don't want to say another word. Do you hear me, not one more word."

"No one tells me what to do!" Clayton threw his hand up, balled it into a fist, and slammed it down on the table. "I'm walking out of here, and I'll take you down. I have a name; I have influence….If you have as much money as I do, you can do whatever the hell you want…I can crush you with a word, with a single order. That's the kind of power I have. With a single order, I brought Harvey Dennis down." He slammed his fist again, and again. "I can have any judge I want in my pocket."

"It's obvious my client is emotionally and mentally distressed from being in this room for so many hours." The lawyer said, looking at Clayton with wide eyes.

"That excuse won't save him. He confessed, on the record."

At those words, Clayton blinked slowly at Bo like he had just realized the trap she'd walked him into. He collapsed into the chair and rested his head on the table. It was over, he knew it, Bo knew it and so did the lawyer.

"Detective, that's quite enough." The lawyer stood, shaking his head. "We'll end this interview here. My client needs to rest."

"That's fine." Bo slowly rose to her feet, shut off the recorder, and collected her evidence. "You just gave me everything I needed. Besides, I've got far more important things to do with my time than spend it with the likes of you." She opened the door and signaled to the agents waiting outside. She glanced back at Clayton and said, "And by the way, I'm looking forward to seeing you rot in prison for the rest of your life."

Years as a police officer had taught Bo that the world wasn't always just. Good things didn't always happen to good people, and bad things didn't always happen to bad ones. It wasn't fair, it wasn't necessarily easy to reconcile. But every once in a while, a bad one got what was coming to them. And Clayton would be going away for life, and that was a victory. As she closed the door behind her, she heard the loud curses Clayton threw at her, and grinned. It really was over.

XXXXX

Meanwhile, at the clinic, Lauren had just finished extracting a gigantic splinter from a child's left foot when she made her way to the front desk.

The medical assistant, Fiona, was in front of the computer. After Lauren had walked up, she handed her a file. "Ms. Drysdale is lying down in room two. She has a high fever and stomach cramps."

Lauren opened the file and scanned it. "Fifth time she's been here this month…" She commented as she closed the folder. "Did she arrive alone?"

Fiona nodded with a sad look on her face. "I don't think she has any family."

"I see." Lauren stared down at the file and thought about the fragile woman who brought herself to the clinic multiple times a month. Her heart sank as she tried to imagine what it would be like to be so alone in the world. "Go ahead and arrange for a nurse to visit her a couple of times a week. The clinic has allotted funds just for that purpose." If there wasn't enough money available Lauren would pay for it herself, not that she shared that thought with Fiona.

Peeking up at Lauren, over her glasses Fiona smiled at Lauren. "Will do. You're the best doctor we could ever ask for in this place. You take real great care of your patients."

The worshipful gaze of Fiona's eyes always made Lauren feel a little uncomfortable. She couldn't decide if it was a small crush or friendly admiration for a colleague, but she supposed it didn't matter. She placed the file under her arm and brushed off the flattery by saying. "I'm only doing my job." Knowing she had a full day, she rushed off to the next examination room to check on the patient.

Hours later, Lauren rolled her shoulders. After half a shift of non-stop patients, she'd been hunched over her charting for some time, and all her muscles had tensed up. She pushed back from her desk and tried not to think about Evony's offer. Of course, that was an exercise in futility, because she couldn't get it out of her head. Lauren was methodical in dealing with life decisions, and she knew she couldn't rush her decision. In her experience, decisions made quickly were almost always regretted just as quickly. She pondered the implications of the offer. On the one hand, she knew she did good work at the clinic and wondered if it was selfish of her to desire more challenging work. But, then, she wondered if it wasn't equally as selfish not to put her talents to the best use, to help as many people as possible.

There was a knock at the door, pulling Lauren out of her thoughts. She got up, stretched, and opened the door.

"Yes, how can…" She trailed off as she saw Evony standing in her doorway. "Dr. Marquise, I'm surprised to see you."

"Can I come in?"

Lauren moved to the side and let her into the office. She shut the door, keeping her back to it just in case she needed to make a quick exit, and stood there, crossing her arms over her chest. "I haven't made a decision. I need time to think."

Evony sat in Lauren's chair, crossing one leg over the other. "I know, but I have something important I need to tell you." She said, uncharacteristically hesitant.

"Okay…" Lauren's eyebrows lifted in surprise, then knitted in curiosity. "Is this a social call?" She glanced at the clock on her wall. "Because I don't have much time to spare."

"I'll keep this short. As we both know, most doctors are high-strung, perfectionists, egomaniacs…"

"That's a pretty strong generalization."

Evony laughed. "Doesn't make it any less true. But there are doctors who can really connect with their patients, make them feel safe and comfortable. Like you. That's an extraordinary quality."

"Thanks, but as I said I haven't made my decision."

An awkward moment of silence passed. Evony stared at Lauren. Lauren stared back, waiting. She could see Evony's mind working, but what she was thinking Lauren had no idea. Lauren felt a spike of alarm as Evony's eyes softened on her. Why was she there? Something about Evony was off, and Lauren's gut tightened. She set her hands on her hips, lifting her eyebrows, hoping she'd get her message to get on with it.

"After facing the Inquisitor, aka your wife, I've realized that my behavior toward you hasn't always been the most professional. But I truly respect your talent and intelligence. I find brilliant people very stimulating, and I find you arousing because of that to a certain degree." Evony held Lauren's gaze, but Lauren looked away quickly. "You are the most annoying, and most fascinating person I've ever met in my life."

Lauren stood there for a few moments, looking at the ground, absolutely dumbfounded. "I…" She paused, unnerved by the words coming from a woman who seemed to admire her in more ways than one. Her words mortified Lauren right down to her toes. She lifted her eyes to look at Evony. "Bo has my heart, and that will never change. I love my wife very much. I'm not interested…"

"No reminders about your disinterest are necessary," Evony said, lifting her hands up as though Lauren needed to calm down. "I'm aware."

Evony's glance meshed with hers, and Lauren steeled herself not to look away again. She straightened her shoulders and asked, "So, why are you telling me this? To what end?"

"I have made a career out of being composed and logical, detached, but nothing about my reaction to you has been detached or logical. The cosmic joke of it all isn't lost on me. I, who'd never had any trouble getting anyone I wanted, am completely infatuated with one I could never have. It would be comical if it weren't so pathetic."

Lauren's mouth flapped open, and she quickly snapped it shut. She wished Evony would stop talking, to leave before she made an uncomfortable situation worse than it already was. She had no idea what to say to her. She wanted to dash out of the room, not because she returned Evony's feelings, but because she didn't, and never would. In another life, Lauren might've found Evony attractive, but as it was, she was already married to the love of her life, and wouldn't even think of Evony that way.

"I can see how awkward this is for you. I'm sorry for that." Evony was thoughtful for a moment or two, then added. "And believe me, I know nothing will happen between us. I merely wanted to explain my behavior. Despite my attraction to you, I genuinely want to see you become as successful as possible. I feel guilty every day that I lost you as a student, and I know my behavior toward you was partly to blame."

"My decision to leave had nothing to do with you. But, I can't work with you, again. That would be unwise, and inappropriate."

"Which is exactly why I'm here. A chief of surgery position, in a hospital in Chicago, has opened up unexpectedly. I was on the short list of possible candidates. And because of my excellent credentials, and glowing recommendations I was offered the job, and I intend to take it."

"That's surprising," Lauren stated, then slid her hands awkwardly into her lab coat pockets. "Are you leaving because of me?" She regretted the question as soon as she asked it.

Evony arched an arrogant eyebrow at Lauren, which irritated her. "Doctors rarely take their own advice. But I now recognize that for all my concern about your career, I've been settling in my own for a while. It's time to move on to bigger and better things."

Keeping her back pressed firmly against the door Lauren asked the first question that popped into her head, "What about Tamsin?"

Evony made an impatient movement with her hand as she said, "That's not a serious thing. She won't even miss me."

The dismissive way Evony spoke about Tamsin angered Lauren, and she wanted to defend her friend. "I think she likes you more than you think. She's a good person and doesn't deserve to get hurt by you."

Evony sighed and glanced away from Lauren. "She'll get over it. My career will always come first. I hope she'll find the person that can give her what she needs, but I'm not that person." She moved her eyes back to Lauren. "I like her, but I need someone who is my equal in every way. Someone who understands my world."

The look in Evony's eyes spoke volumes about her meaning. She considered Lauren her equal. "Did you start seeing Tamsin to get closer to me?" She gave her an expectant glare, her forehead furrowed.

Evony laughed at that. "I know this continues to bewilder and astound you, but the entire world doesn't revolve around Dr. Lauren Lewis."

Lauren rolled her eyes and opened her office door. She didn't have the time to put up with Evony's jibes. "Well, thanks for stopping by but I need to get back to work." She waved her hand to the open door. "Good luck in Chicago."

All traces of Evony's earlier smile had vanished, and she appeared to be completely serious. She stood up, so they were face-to-face. "I want to see you succeed, with or without my help. So, please, give some thought to returning to the hospital."

Evony stood just a few inches from Lauren, a myriad of emotions playing across her eyes. Lauren didn't want to decipher them because she feared they were all about her. Slowly, her eyes dropped to Lauren's lips, and Lauren's heart started a slow pound against her chest. If Evony tried to kiss her, she would probably freak out, scream and push her away. And she really didn't want to cause a scene at her place of employment. She held her breath and shrank back.

Thankfully, Evony didn't try to kiss her. Her eyes snapped up to Lauren's again as she said, "You have that look that I know well. The drive. That look of ambition, but you need a more competitive environment to help you grow. You're throwing away your talent, wasting your time treating boo-boos here. Dr. Everett is a first-class physician, and she would be an excellent mentor and colleague to you, even if you don't work in her department. She can see greatness in doctors as I can. She'll treat you with respect, but she'll be tough on you when you need it."

"I don't know what to say."

"So say nothing, just think about it. Process it and analyze it. Whatever you have to do."

When Evony was gone, Lauren breathed a sigh of relief as she walked to her patient's room. She took a moment to try to process what just happened, and replay the entire episode. At the door, she decided to think about it later. She couldn't let anything distract her from giving her patients the best medical care she could. She took a second to put on her game face and entered the room.

XXXXXX

Covering Bo with her naked, slick, overheated body, Lauren kissed her on the lips, softly and gently. "Mmmm." Lips still close to Bo, she tasted Bo's breath as she tasted hers. "That was amazing."

"How amazing?" Bo stretched her arms out over her head, grinning broadly.

Lauren answered by taking her mouth again. Their kiss was deep at first, but then slowly tapered off into quick pecks and nips. Bo's fingertips trailed down her body, that long, lean line, and up again, raising goose bumps on Lauren wherever she touched.

When Lauren drew back to look at her, Bo brushed a strand of damp hair from Lauren's face. Her eyes held that sated, slightly sleepy look, which Bo loved so much. "So when can we do it again? Now?"

Lauren's lips twitched at Bo's lecherous tone and hovered her mouth over hers. "Aren't you the greedy one." She breathed against her mouth, her lips moving lightly back and forth over Bo's.

Bo licked Lauren's lip and nipped it lightly, using her tongue and teeth to tease and entice her. "Hey, sometimes, you've just got to take a chance and go for it."

Laughter rumbled through Lauren's chest and made her lips vibrate against Bo's. She arched herself into Bo's body, at the same time met her lips again with a long leisurely kiss.

Swamped with love, Bo's entire body relaxed as she surrendered into the kiss. Feeling Lauren's warm lips on hers, and the full-body caress of her skin against hers, sent a thrill straight down Bo's body, she was working right up to madly aroused again. Lauren's lips, her tongue, her breath were all over Bo's mouth, making her moan in sheer, pure pleasure. Lauren glided her tongue deeper, and Bo pressed her fingers into Lauren's hips, keeping her tight against her.

Lauren broke off the kiss, though she took her time to do so, letting her mouth touch Bo's for a few breaths before pulling all the way back. She shifted back just an inch away, and slowly drifted her eyes over Bo's face. Then, she stared into Bo's very heated eyes and felt all her parts quiver with need.

Bo loved the rosy flush that covered Lauren's cheeks, the way her lips were still wet from hers. Taking in that look, she was powerless to restrain herself from putting her lips on Lauren. She started planting kisses on Lauren's neck and shoulders, wherever her mouth could reach.

Bo's hands traveled up Lauren's back as she kissed a path from her neck to her mouth. "Wow, you make me crazy," She said hastily between kisses.

"How?" Lauren managed when their lips separated briefly.

"The way you look at me and the way you feel and how you take care of me…" Bo's sweet words were punctuated by hot kisses.

In less time than it took to draw in Bo's next breath, Lauren slid down her body, kissing and licking her as she did. It stole the words from Bo's lips, and the thoughts from her brain. She wasn't thinking about anything other than Lauren and the incredible connection that sizzled between them. Her eyes drifted shut as Lauren skimmed her lips and tongue over one breast and then the other. Combing her fingers through Lauren's hair, she kept her anchored to her chest. That ache built between her legs and her hips pushed up at Lauren in slow, rocking circles that she couldn't control. Lauren responded by swirling her tongue around her nipple.

"I want to kiss you everywhere," Lauren whispered against her skin, setting off a flurry of sensations in Bo's stomach.

Bo sputtered with laughter that quickly turned into a groan. "Please do."

Lauren moved down her body, kissing her way to Bo's navel. A low sigh came from Bo's lips when she kept going lower. Slowly, she licked her center, loving the sounds Bo made. Her hand drifted up Bo's stomach, feeling her body tense beneath her fingers. Her head fell back, momentarily, then she lifted her eyes to meet Bo's.

"Lauren." Was all Bo could manage to say through her fast, worked up breathing.

Smirking, Lauren's lips fell to her inner thigh. She took her time, her tongue sliding up and down her sensitive flesh. A few curses fell from Bo's lips, and her fingers tangled in Lauren's hair as she glided her tongue inside her.

They continued to make love for the next hour. Once done, Bo rested one hand on Lauren's back, her body shuddering against Lauren with little aftershocks from their lovemaking. She shut her eyes to enjoy the moment when she felt Lauren move.

Rolling off Bo and away, Lauren heard Bo make a sound of protest. She swung her legs out of bed and started fishing for her white button-up shirt from the floor.

Bo flopped on her side and heaved a long sigh. "Where are you going?" She gazed at Lauren's back like a smitten teenager, her lips pouting of their own accord. "I worked so hard to get you out of those clothes, and now you're putting them back on? I want you nice and naked."

Lauren looked over her shoulder, smiling as she buttoned her shirt. "I want to show you something. Outside."

Bo watched in appreciation as Lauren stood and slid her underwear up her beautiful legs. Her wife had great legs, smooth, long and toned. Great arms, too. Great everything. She adored every perfect inch of Lauren.

Lauren noticed Bo staring at her. She picked up a pillow and threw it at her. "Quit staring and get dressed."

Laughing, Bo shoved the pillow aside. She didn't speak, didn't object. She silently followed Lauren's instructions and began to pull on her clothes.

XXXXX

"What are we doing?" Bo asked, a little breathless from trying to keep up with Lauren.

Lauren looked back at Bo, a secretive smile playing on her lips. She didn't bother to reply, just grabbed Bo's hand as they strode down the sidewalk. Shortly after, she took a turn, leading them along a path into a park, one that sprawled across several miles close to their house.

"Are we going on a moonlit merry-go-round ride?" Bo asked, half joking. "Or are we having park sex."

Lauren's responding laugh told Bo no way in hell were they having sex outside.

The path they were on wound through thick, tall trees. As they walked, Lauren told Bo about her conversation with Evony. Once done, Lauren slanted a look at Bo and braced herself for the worst. But much to her surprise, and confusion, Bo laughed and answered with a joke instead of jealousy.

"I can't really fault her for being attracted to my wife, as I'm very, very attracted to her myself." She teased with an affectionate smile.

Bo's smile was magnetic, as usual, and Lauren slipped into her own grin. "You're supposed to be jealous of her, remember?" She gave Bo a playful shove of her shoulder. "You need to get in character."

The thought of Evony confessing her attraction to Lauren riled Bo up, but it wasn't Lauren's fault and lashing out at her would serve no good purpose. She knew being jealous of Evony was immature, rooted in her own insecurity, in that nagging voice that sometimes told her Lauren would wise up and realize she could do better than her. Even after so many years it still boggled her mind that Lauren loved her as much as she loved her. But it was time for her to let go of her doubt, her lingering insecurities. So, all she wanted to do was lighten the mood for Lauren because the situation obviously made her uncomfortable. "I can go over and kick her ass if you'd like." A mischievous sparkle lit in Bo's eyes. "I would definitely enjoy that."

Lauren's look was not amused at first, then she laughed off Bo's joke. "Well, anyway, she's leaving. But it was a very awkward conversation."

The playful grin morphed into a serious frown on Bo's face. "I feel bad for Tamsin. She likes Evony and the whole time she's been in love with you. It's not right."

Lauren grimaced at that thought and shook her head. "Don't go that far. She doesn't love me."

Bo wasn't convinced. She shrugged and said, "If you say so."

Lauren was quiet for a beat and looked at the trees as they walked along. "I just can't get over how everything has worked out. That Clayton actually confessed." She said, blatantly changing the subject.

With their hands still entwined, Bo's thumb moved over Lauren's knuckles. "He couldn't help himself. I made him feel weak and out of control. It scared him, and people like him don't do well when they're scared. He wanted to believe he was still powerful and in control by threatening me."

They turned a corner and came out of the woods. In front of them was a small open field. The sun had gone down, but it was still somewhat light, with a full moon and a starry sky.

Lauren released Bo's hand and dropped her bag onto the grass. "I'm so happy for you to have that worry off your shoulders. And you got justice for your father."

Bo's head fell back, and she inhaled the warm night air. "It was messy, but still it's over."

"Now that Clayton is in prison are you putting in your resignation?"

Bo nodded, and let out a content sigh. "It was all the closure I needed."

"Do you think you'll miss it? All the mystery, power, locking up criminals…I could imagine it would be difficult to put that behind you."

"I don't think so," Bo replied quickly. Honesty forced her to add, "Maybe a little." She toyed with Lauren's hair, combing through the strands and twirling it with her finger. It was one of her favorite pastimes. She loved to touch her. She simply loved it. "Change can be difficult, but I'm looking forward to it."

Lauren slid her hands up around Bo's neck, and pressed her body to hers, at the same time captured her lips. Bo returned the kiss, surged forward, her arms winding around Lauren's waist, holding Lauren to her. They stayed like that for a long time with the moon and the stars providing the light around them.

When Lauren moved slightly back so she could see Bo, Bo gazed at her and asked. "What was that for?"

"You've been through a lot."

Bo kissed her lightly, pressing her lips to Lauren's forehead. "So have you."

"I still have something to show you." Lauren untangled herself from Bo and knelt down to dig through her bag.

Bo frowned watching Lauren pull out a package of what looked like a paper party lantern.

"I wanted us to release this," Lauren explained as she got the sky lantern ready. She carefully touched a flame to a wick in the center. The hot air filled the lantern, and gently the walls started expanding.

"We place our hopes and dreams for the future symbolically inside," Lauren said, holding the lantern as it glowed with a white luminescence, and bobbed in the breeze, apparently ready to be released. "And then we set it free into the universe."

Bo approached Lauren from behind, brushed her hair over one shoulder, and kissed her neck.

Lauren's back arched instinctively against Bo's body, taking a moment to enjoy the closeness of their bodies. "This gesture has no scientific basis, of course, but I like the symbolism. We're about to start a new chapter in our lives, and I don't know…I wanted to do something to acknowledge that." She released her grip, and the lantern floated into the air, rising slowly skyward.

It was such a simple act, such a simple thing, but it filled Bo with an odd sense of hope and promise about the future. Bo thought about the last few months, about how her world had changed forever when her father passed. And that was only the beginning of more changes in her life. She and Lauren were both looking at shaking up their careers, Lauren had a fresh start with her mother, and in a few months, Bo's nephew would be born. And that was the thing about life, the world, it was always in motion, always propelling you forward to experience new things, many you never expected to face. Lauren was right. It was a nice way to mark the start of a new phase in their lives.

Bo placed her chin on Lauren's shoulder, and they watched the lantern float higher and higher into the sky. The view was magnificent, the glow from inside the lantern lighting up the night sky. And then it disappeared, the flame smothered by a large gust of wind.

Bo kept her eyes on the spot where the lantern had just been and said, "Oh, no. Is that a bad omen?"

Lauren chuckled and cocked her head to look at Bo. "No, now our hopes and dreams can fly freely into the universe." She couldn't stop herself from adding, "Symbolically that is."

Bo gazed at the sky, then smiled back at Lauren and knew that she already had everything she wanted. Her only wish for the future was to have Lauren love her. The world always felt right when they were together. She snuggled closer into Lauren's warmth; she didn't precisely know how long. But it was long enough for her mind to wander and for her thoughts to turn forward, to the future. Her future with Lauren. Her thoughts made her feel emotional and sentimental, happy. Briefly, she considered bringing up the baby topic to Lauren but decided against it. She'd bring it up again at some point. Maybe not that day, but someday soon. But she knew without a doubt that children or no children they would be happy as long as they put their love and each other first. No matter what challenges they might face, no matter what the world threw at them.

At length, Bo came out of her thoughts. "That was nice," She said a little dreamily, on an exhaled breath. "Let's make this a new tradition, and renew our hopes and dreams every year."

Turning around in Bo's arms, Lauren looked at her. Her big brown eyes on Bo like she was the center of her world, and, at that moment, she was. She knew she would only ever love Bo until the day she died. They had ups and downs, wins and losses, but they had them together. "I would love that. You're everything to me. My future, my love, my wife."

Deeply moved by the moment, Lauren's words and the emotion behind it, Bo said, "My first, and only wish is us, like this, forever."

 **XXXXXX**

 **AN**

 **Sorry about the long wait between chapters.**

 **This is the end….kind of. I will be posting an epilogue with a time jump to tie up all the loose ends.**

 **For those waiting on The Way to update I have the last chapter written. I just need a few days (hopefully) to polish it up.**

 **Thanks for reading and reviewing.**


	19. Chapter 19

_Eight years later…._

XXXXX

Bo was a nervous, anxious ball of energy. Her knee bounced up and down as she watched Lauren standing at the podium accepting her award. She was so proud of her wife she could barely contain her excitement; she could scarcely sit still. She hung on to every word of Lauren's speech, though she almost knew it by heart, having heard it dozens of times that week. Lauren spoke about the breakthrough drug, which she was being honored for discovering, that would change the lives of millions of people who had Alzheimer's with passion and confidence. When she was done, she took a few minutes to speak about the importance of scientific research and funding. She took a few pauses, casting her eyes out on the crowd, giving the appearance that she was speaking directly to every individual.

At the end of her speech, Lauren found Bo's eyes and proclaimed her as the person who had made her believe completely in the journey she was on, that her unwavering belief in her had made her success possible. Holding her award tight against her chest, she walked off. As Lauren stepped off of the stage, the sound of applause was still drumming in her ears from the audience.

When she reached the bottom, Bo was there to scoop her up. She planted a kiss on her lips before releasing her. "You were incredible," She told Lauren.

"I was so nervous." Lauren breathed out, her heart still pounding from the adrenaline of speaking in front of a room filled with distinguished doctors and scientists, as well as some prominent reporters, and many others.

"It didn't show." Dr. Everett said, coming up behind them. "It was a great speech."

They were walking back to their table when Bo gave Lauren a loving glance. "Yeah, you charmed everyone in the room."

"Well, it was nice having a few friendly faces in the crowd," Lauren said, looking back and forth between her mentor and her wife as they took their assigned seats. "It made it easier."

The rest of the gala passed quickly. Lauren answered question after question regarding her newly discovered wonder drug, and her plans for the future. She smiled while holding her award and stood for many photos. On occasion, Bo would even stand with her when interviewers asked if their photo could be taken together. Bo was so thrilled to be standing with Lauren that she couldn't take her eyes off her.

At the end of the evening, they had the elevator to themselves, Lauren sagged against the back wall, and Bo sagged against her.

"My feet are killing me," Lauren complained, but she was still smiling drunk on the energy of the evening. It was exhilarating and exciting being at the award's gala, discussing her work, the future, and knowing that she was a part of something worthwhile and groundbreaking and that her peers recognized it.

"I'll give you a foot rub," Bo said, wrapping her arms around Lauren's waist and nuzzling her neck.

"Deal."

The elevator doors opened and they both stepped out. Still floating on a cloud of jubilation, Lauren walked back to the hotel room, with Bo behind her.

"I know you just won a big, prestigious award, and you're super smart and stuff. But," Bo let out a low whistle, "damn your ass looks great in that dress. It's hypnotic."

Lauren stopped and spun slowly on her heels to face Bo. "Tease."

"No. I'm not teasing," Bo said, turning and pressing Lauren's back into the wall. "You're beautiful on a daily basis, but right now you look extraordinary." She kissed Lauren's nose. "I'm your biggest groupie, remember?"

Lauren opened her mouth to joke back, but Bo's lips found hers, cutting off her remarks.

At length, after they'd thoroughly tasted each other, Bo broke the kiss. Her lips pressed into Lauren's hair, and she ran her hands up her arms, touching her gently. Her mouth moved closer until she found her ear. Then she kissed it and whispered, "I'm so proud of you." She backed up a half step to look Lauren directly in the eyes. "Winning that award was no small achievement."

Lauren shrugged. "It was a team effort. Nothing in medicine or science is accomplished by one person alone."

Bo's face scrunched at that. "Honestly, for a woman who has achieved so much, you manage to have a humble streak in you that's maddening. Be proud of yourself. Take the win."

Lauren held up the award that hadn't been out of her hands all night. "It does feel good to win." She said, smiling. "Feel better?"

"Yes, I do." Bo cupped Lauren's cheeks and gave her a warm kiss. "I know it was a team effort, but your passion and determination is what made the impossible possible."

"It means a lot that you're here."

Bo's eyes twinkled as they moved between Lauren's. "I'll always be here, Lauren. You know that."

Lauren did.

Bo's hands moved down to link them with Lauren's. "Now, I have a surprise."

Lauren's eyebrows drew inward in a mystified line. "For me? What is it?"

Bo gave Lauren a small smile and then pantomimed zipping her lips, locking them closed, and tossing away the key.

"What's going on?" Lauren asked, her curiosity aroused as Bo pulled her toward the room.

"I said it was a surprise. No fishing for hints."

Outside the door, Bo used the keycard to gain entry to their room. She gestured for Lauren to go in ahead of her.

Once inside, Lauren kicked off her shoes and groaned from the relief of being free of the high heels. She started to ask Bo to unzip her dress but froze when Bo turned on the light in the room. She blinked half a dozen times in rapid succession to process the sight before her.

Charlotte and Ethan, the other two loves of Lauren's life were beaming at her from across the room. Had the decision to adopt children been easy for Lauren? No. It had taken her a year of thinking and analyzing for her to realize it was what she wanted. That she did want a family with Bo. And now that they were in her life, she couldn't imagine not having either of them.

She was in awe of her children every day. Charlotte was six-years-old, her brother five. Charlotte had short blonde hair that was curly at the ends and big blue eyes. Ethan had blond hair like his sister, it was cut short and spiked out in a few directions, but unlike Charlotte, he had brown eyes. She loved Ethan's inquisitiveness and his eagerness to please, and Charlotte's courageous spirit and creative mind. They were lively and exuberant children.

"Mommy!" They both exclaimed in unison, bouncing up and down with glee.

Lauren knelt down and opened her arms. "I can't believe you're here." She said around the large lump in her throat. Having her children there, on the day she won her award, made the experience extra special. It meant the world to her.

Both kids flew across the room into their mother's waiting embrace. They launched themselves at Lauren with so much force she staggered slightly backward. They threw their arms around her and showered her with kisses.

Laughing, Lauren hugged and peppered their faces with kisses. "Oh, how I've missed you two," She whispered between noisy kisses.

"We missed you." The kids chorused.

Their excited little voices made Lauren's heart melt and she squeezed them tighter.

Every time Bo looked at her family, her heart filled with more love than she'd ever thought possible to feel for three other human beings. Seeing the excitement pouring off all three of them made her smile and teary-eyed. Once Bo had worried that not being the center of Lauren's world, even for a minute, would be difficult. And when Charlotte first arrived, in a small way it was, but it didn't last long. She could never be jealous of the affection Lauren gave their children. It simply made her love her more.

Minutes later, Lauren twisted to look at Bo, and gave her a grateful smile. Happy tears glistened in her eyes but didn't spill over. It was a beautiful surprise her wife had given her. Since getting nominated for her award, she'd been traveling to different events and she was away from the kids for long stretches at a time. And she had been missing them terribly.

The kid's voices blended together as they talked excitedly to Lauren. "We drove go-carts, mommy. And we ate hot dogs at the cart downtown. We ate so much cotton candy and popcorn that we almost puked. We went to the aquarium and saw giant turtles…."

Amid the excited chatter and laughs from the kids, Lauren stood up, and Bo walked over to her. While each kid grabbed a leg, Lauren wrapped her arms around Bo. "Thank you for doing this for me." She said simply, unable to fully verbalize how grateful she really felt. "It means so much."

Into Lauren's hair, Bo muttered, "I knew you missed them."

Lauren took about six more seconds to relish Bo's touch, then her children demanded her attention again, and she let Bo go. Reaching down, Lauren took both her children's hands and led them to the sofa.

Charlotte and Ethan took up residence on each side of Lauren, sitting as close as they could. "How did you keep this a secret?" She asked her son, giving him a squeeze that made him giggle. "We face-timed this morning."

Ethan's big brown eyes turned serious. "Mom said it was super important to keep it a surprise. But I was scared Charlotte would mess up and tell you."

"I kept the secret," Charlotte exclaimed to defend herself. "I'm good at keeping secrets."

"You did great." Lauren glanced between her kids. She gave Charlotte a squeeze. "You both did. But how did you get here?"

"Grandma Norrie brought us." Charlotte jumped up and pointed to the other room.

"We flew on a big plane." Ethan piped in excitedly. "I wasn't even scared…" He glanced at Bo and then ducked his head, and whispered. "This time."

Bo grinned at her son just as Norma peeked her head around the corner and gave Lauren a wave. "Surprise."

Lauren smiled at her mother and she returned the smile. Since Lauren had welcomed Norma back into her life things between them had improved considerably. They had become friends, and Norma was a great grandmother to her children. She even moved out from Lauren's childhood home and into their city so she could be closer to them. And when Lauren's Nana had to slow down from traveling, she had moved in with Norma. It had been a sad day when Lauren realized her grandmother's age was catching up to her. And knowing how quickly life could shift, Lauren was happy having both of them close, so her children could get to know them. Especially, their great-grandmother who meant so much to Lauren.

Her father, on the other hand, had remarried and never once tried to contact Lauren, her children, or her mother. To her father, it was probably as if she'd never existed at all. It was just as well, he was who he was, and he didn't want to change. And Lauren knew they were all better off without him or his judgments. He hadn't ever been physically violent with Lauren, words were his weapon of choice, and she knew her children were better off without him. She was forever done with him and his ugliness.

"Thank you so much for bringing them." Lauren kissed and hugged her kids again.

"It was Bo's idea," Norma said, sitting on the couch next to Ethan. "She wanted to surprise you."

"Well, mission accomplished." Lauren met all their eyes one at a time, stopping when she reached Bo's eyes. They took a second to share a smile.

Ethan blinked up at Lauren, with long black lashes over sad, puppy-dog eyes. "Mom said we had to wait here because the party was for grown-ups."

"Yeah, not fair," Charlotte said in a sulky tone. "We didn't get to go to the big party."

"You were there." Lauren clasped each kid's hands and kissed the center of each palm. "In my heart. You are always with me."

Bo listened to the back and forth with a slight grin hovering on her lips as she removed her shoes. Then, she lifted Charlotte up and placed her on her lap and took a seat next to Lauren.

"Where's your award?" Ethan asked, swinging his legs so vigorously his whole body swayed on the sofa.

Bo held up Lauren's Scientific Achievement Award and showed them. She had retrieved it from the floor after Lauren had sat it down to hug her children.

"Cool," Charlotte ran her tiny fingers over the award, looking at it in awe.

A little hand fell to Lauren's shoulder, and she turned to look at her son, who was no longer fidgeting in his seat. "Why'd you get that?" He questioned in a whisper-soft voice. "It looks important."

"I discovered a medicine that helps heal part of the brain," Lauren explained in simple terms. Explaining her work to her kids was tricky as it was very complex. The drug she'd discovered wasn't a cure, but it did slow down the effects and significantly improved the lives of Alzheimer's patients. "It helps people remember things."

Ethan's little eyes opened wide, and his mouth soon followed. "Whoa."

Charlotte's face scrunched in confusion like she was deep in thought. "It helps sick people?"

"It does," Lauren said, tucking a strand of hair behind Charlotte's ear.

"Are you very smart, mommy?" Ethan questioned, and then two tiny, curious youngsters looked at Lauren waiting earnestly for her answer.

"Yes. Your mommy's brilliant." Bo cut in, a playful smirk was on her face. "That award proves it."

Lauren darted her eyes from Bo to her kids. "I studied for many years, and worked very hard to get here."

"But she is very smart. It takes a certain amount of intelligence and tenacity to study medicine and pass all those tests to become a doctor." Norma added, looking at Lauren with admiration in her eyes.

"Can I win an award like that?" Charlotte asked, aiming her 100-watt brilliant blue eyes at Lauren. "If I work real hard and study."

Lauren looked down into the little girl's open face, thinking about how much she loved her and her brother. Her heart swelled until she thought it might burst. "Of course you can."

"I'm going to win one first," Ethan declared, trying to get Lauren's attention. "I already have a trophy from soccer." He puffed up his chest and glanced over at Bo, who was the coach for his soccer team.

Bo started tickling Charlotte under her arms, drawing out high giggles from her. "It's not a competition. Awards or no awards we love you both the same." She said, as her daughter tried to squirm away from her tickles. "Got it?"

"Got it," Charlotte laughed out, and Ethan snickered, then echoed her, which made the adults laugh.

XXXXXX

Light conversation followed as they sat together in the hotel room. Norma intently listened as they talked about the award's ceremony. Getting uninterested with the grown-up talk, Ethan and Charlotte started playing tag around the room. Norma's attention turned to the kids. Amazement and pride were clear in her grandmotherly eyes as she watched them play. The kids were a handful like usual, but it was also a lot of fun having them around, soaking up their vibrant energy. It was late when Norma retired to her room down the hall.

While the kids started playing with their toys on the floor, Bo pulled Lauren's feet into her lap and rubbed the muscle on one foot. "I owe you a foot massage."

Sighing in pleasure, Lauren leaned back and closed her eyes. Bo chuckled at her response then stroked her heel and the pad of her foot. Lauren continued sighing softly while Bo rubbed the aches and pains away moving up to her calves.

"Stop that," Lauren muttered when Bo's hand started moving further up her dress. "Our children are playing right over there..."

"Sorry," Bo laughed and brought Lauren's leg up to her lips and kissed it. When she got caught up with touching Lauren, she tended to forget they weren't alone.

Lauren smirked at Bo and shut her eyes again. "This was a wonderful day." She breathed out in a dreamy voice.

"Yeah?" Bo continued her massage, increased the pressure.

Keeping her eyes closed, Lauren yawned. "The best. Thank you for making this night extra special."

When the kid's energy finally wore down, Bo and Lauren got them ready for bed. After they were in their pj's, Ethan looked up at Lauren. "I want to sleep with mommy tonight."

"That's fine with me. We can all snuggle up together."

Both kids smiled at Lauren with so much enthusiasm. Happiness. Innocence.

After all brushing their teeth, and washing up the whole family climbed into the king-sized bed. Together, as a family, they read a bedtime story, with each one reading a page and then passing it along. It was their normal bedtime routine. Charlotte was a strong reader for her age, but Ethan still struggled with the more challenging words. Being a great big sister Charlotte patiently helped him sound out the words when he got stuck.

Lauren set the children's book aside and cut the lights when the story was finished. Bo was on one side, with her arm over her eyes. The kids were in the middle with Lauren on the other side. Lauren listened as they let out loud yawns, the precursor to their sleep. Lauren soaked up the moment, committed it to memory, and gave thanks for her wonderful life. She was surrounded by three of the great loves of her life. She wondered how one person could be so lucky, but then that was a great and beautiful mystery of life and she wasn't going to question it.

She heard her children say goodnight to the moon, goodnight to their toys and goodnight to their family and friends. It brought tears to Lauren's eyes as she watched them hold hands and lean on each other.

"Night, night, Charlotte," Ethan whispered, through a yawn. "I love you."

"Night, Ethan, love you too."

XXXXX

After picking the kids up from school, Lauren dropped them off to spend some time with Norma. Before leaving, she found her grandmother sipping a mug of tea at the large oak table in the kitchen. She was working a crossword puzzle with her thick glasses perched on her nose.

She looked up and gave Lauren a heartfelt smile. "Come sit with me and have some tea."

Lauren leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, then sat down in the chair across from her. She took a moment to look at the grandmother, who she loved and admired so much.

"Tea is believed to have many benefits that affect the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of those who drink it. Or so they say, anyway."

"I better switch from coffee then," Lauren said with a laugh.

Holding her mug in both hands, she looked at Lauren a little seriously. "I would never tell you what to do, but that would be advisable." A moment later, she glanced around the kitchen. "So, where is everyone? Those beautiful grandbabies."

"Outside playing with Mom."

"I tell you I'm so glad that mother of yours finally removed that giant stick from her rear. She's much more agreeable now."

Lauren chuckled lightly and nodded in agreement. "Well, I'm happy to have a moment alone with you."

She lifted her cup to her lips and eyed Lauren over it. "I would never complain about spending time with my fascinating granddaughter. It brings me immeasurable joy to see you."

Lauren poured herself some tea from the kettle on the table. They both took slow sips, and Lauren had to admit it was very lovely tea. She glanced down at the partially filled-in puzzle. "Looks like you're making good progress on that."

"Actually, I'm a little annoyed with this awful thing." She glanced down at it and slowly shook her head. "I was about to cheat and look at the answers."

Lauren grinned at her candor. "We used to do those puzzles together when I visited you, remember?"

"How could I forget? You always finished first and never cheated for answers. Not that it bruised my ego, it made me happy that you were so smart."

Lauren was relieved to see a sharp gleam in her grandmother's eyes, but she noted the underlying fatigue in her posture. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel like an old woman, which makes perfect sense as I am a very old woman." She said with a touch of painful humor, then shot Lauren a speculative look. "Are you checking up on me as a doctor?"

"No, I was only asking."

"I feel good today. But who knows how I'll feel tomorrow. At my age, I can only live in the now."

Lauren's gut tightened. She cherished her grandmother, but she was not unaware of the fact that she only had a few good years left, at best. Lauren felt like she'd neglected her grandmother. For one reason or another. She hadn't intended to, but she'd done it all the same, and she was determined to do better in the future.

"I'm so proud of you and all the work you've done." Her grandmother's words drew her attention back to the conversation at hand.

"Thank you. That means a lot coming from you." Lauren set her cup down. "You saved me, as a child, in so many ways, I hope you know how much you mean to me. I fear I don't say that enough."

"Lauren Lewis, you are marvelous. I've always known that, and my only hope was for you to know that as well."

Nostalgia rippled through Lauren as she thought about the times her grandmother had said those very words to her. "Well, I wouldn't be the woman I am today without you." Her lips trembled slightly as she said those words.

"I don't believe that for one second. All I did was love you, everything else you did on your own."

"But your love and support meant everything to me," Lauren said, squeezing her Nana's hand. "I want you to know that."

She leaned forward and placed her hand over Lauren's, which rested on hers and said, "I don't want you crying when I die."

Lauren's eyes instantly filled with tears and she pulled her hand back. "Don't…please…"

"I want a party, not a funeral. I want a celebration. I'm an old, old woman; my death will not be sad or tragic because I've gotten to live a great, long life. Had many adventures and many loves."

Lauren was silent. She couldn't speak. She simply looked down at the teacup, trying to hide the tears that were leaking from her eyes.

"That's always the way of things, isn't it? Facing the end, our vision is clearest, and we understand what's most important in life. I got to see you grow into a remarkable woman and meet your wonderful children. I can go in peace with no regrets knowing you are surrounded by love."

Lauren rested her face in her hands, using her thumbs to gently wipe away her tears. "I can't lose you."

"You can, and you will, my dear."

Lauren didn't particularly care for that reminder, but she was right, and as her Nana sipped her tea, Lauren drew in a breath, trying to settle her emotions. Anxious to talk about anything other than death for a while, she grabbed her grandmother's puzzle, and they began filling it out together.

XXXXX

The workday passed rather quickly because Bo had so much stuff to do. But she didn't mind. Keeping busy was an excellent way to pass the time. And the sooner her workday was over, the sooner she got to be with her family. Her wife. Her energetic, adorable kids. Bo loved being a parent, the strong sense of responsibility and purpose. She loved seeing the world through their eyes, getting to play and act like a kid again.

Bo stood over her desk rifling through a stack of folders. Her office at the Fresh Beginnings shelter was close to the police station where she'd worked for years. She maintained a close relationship with many of the officers and they gave her referrals.

Bo had taken a portion of her inheritance and used it to open the women's shelter, where she offered free housing, career training, self-defense classes, among other things. As a cop, Bo had sometimes felt powerless to help victims after a crime. But working with women and children in need she was able to offer support to those who had seen the worst that life offered. She helped those with no money, no homes, no families. And it fulfilled her on a different level than being a cop had.

The rest of the money got put in a trust fund for her children. When Charlotte and Ethan turned twenty-five, they would be instant millionaires. Sometimes, she worried about that, putting that responsibility on them. But she felt it was a better choice than having them grow up wealthy, not understanding the value of a dollar. And she and Lauren had many years to prepare them for the responsibility that came with having so much money. Ultimately, she wanted them to have time to discover who they were, what they wanted to do with their lives before exposing them to a life of wealth and privilege. She wanted her children to understand that real, true wealth rested in love and relationships.

Bo supposed she was too proud to keep the money her father had spent his life building. She didn't want something she hadn't done a single thing to earn. Since she had graduated from college she had wanted to be financially independent from her father, it was important to her. But by opening the shelter with Harvey's money she felt like she had honored her father's legacy in a positive way. In a way that didn't make her feel guilty or undeserving.

Her office door opened around five and Dyson walked inside.

"What's up?"

He held up a folder. "I have a new referral for you. Pretty bad domestic violence case."

Bo glanced at the clock and sighed. So many women to help. Day after day of seeing battered, homeless women and children could be draining, depressing, but she'd never stop trying to help them. She knew she was sometimes their last stop, their only stop really. As a former homicide detective, she knew domestic situations escalated over time and often ended with someone dead. She'd seen far too many women dead after years of abuse, and she firmly believed by helping those women she was saving lives. She just wanted to help other people feel that there was always hope, that they shouldn't give up, not on the possibility of good things in life, not on themselves.

Dyson came closer then sat the folder on her desk.

Sitting, she took the file, opened it and saw a photo of a redheaded woman with two blackened eyes and a fractured cheekbone. Her breath caught, her heart sank as it always did.

"I'll contact her today. See what we can do to help."

"Okay, boss." Dyson hitched up his pants and sat in the chair across from her desk. "This place is pretty full today."

"Yeah." Bo's eyes rose from the photograph and met with Dyson's. "We're almost at full capacity."

"I admire what you're doing here. Just so you know. When you retired, I thought you were crazy and that you would come to your senses and come back. But you didn't."

Dyson's comments had Bo regarding him a little more carefully. "No, I didn't."

"Anyway, I like what you're doing here."

Bo smiled at him. "I appreciate that." She knew that he had been disappointed about her giving up her badge and she was relieved to know he valued the work she was trying to do at the shelter.

"Where's Lauren? I thought she'd be here."

"She comes in on Tuesdays and Thursdays." Bo reminded him.

Many of the women and children who passed through Fresh Beginnings needed to be examined by a real doctor, so Lauren volunteered her services twice a week. The state-of-the-art hospital Lauren worked at was less than ten minutes away from the shelter, making it easy for Lauren to offer up a few hours a week to help. Occasionally, she brought her friends, Connor and Tara, with her when they had more patients than she could handle on her own. Her services were invaluable to the shelter, and Bo was so grateful that her extremely busy wife found time to help out.

"I wanted to talk to her about something."

Bo frowned in question, and at the same time, Lauren walked into the office. At the unexpected sight of Lauren, Bo found herself smiling automatically. "Lauren."

"Speak of the devil," Dyson said, twisting in his chair to look at Lauren.

"You were talking about me?" Lauren asked with raised eyebrows, setting her medical bag down on Bo's desk. "Good things I hope."

"Never." Dyson joked, grinning up at her.

"What are you doing here, babe?" Bo asked as she got up and circled her desk.

"The kids are with my mom, and I had some free time, so I wanted to do a few follow-up examinations." Lauren had taken her stethoscope out of her bag and swung it over her neck.

"Before you do that. I have some news." Dyson said, standing to his feet. "I'm engaged."

Both Lauren and Bo's mouths dropped open at the same time. Neither thought they'd see the day that Dyson would get engaged. Not that he didn't love Ciara, or her him, but marriage simply didn't seem important to them.

Lauren was the first to pull him into a hug. "Congratulations, you big idiot."

"So you finally proposed to Ciara," Bo said, clapping him on the shoulder. "About time."

"Yep, she's never getting rid of me now." He smiled at his two friends. "I'm definitely marrying up. I can't believe it."

"We have to plan a party," Lauren exclaimed, practically jumping up and down. After a painful conversation with her grandmother, she was happy to have the opportunity to focus on something joyful and exciting.

XXXXX

Later that night, Bo walked into the bedroom and took a moment to appreciate the beauty before her. Lauren rested her back against the bed frame, wearing just an old college t-shirt with no bottoms. She was reading a medical journal with her black reading glasses on.

"I'm loving the sexy librarian look, Dr. Lewis. Hot."

Laughing, Lauren removed her glasses and set them aside. "I'm getting old." She said, squeezing the bridge of her nose.

"Like a fine wine, babe, you only get better and better with age."

"Cheesy." She rolled her eyes.

Bo came to the end of the bed and looked at Lauren with a hint of a smile at the edge of her mouth. "My love for you is never cheesy."

"Oh, it can be."

"You know I think you're beautiful no matter what you wear, even that old college t-shirt with the holes." Bo moved onto the bed, crawling on all fours toward Lauren with lust filled eyes. "So sexy." She reached Lauren and hovered above her. "I think we should fuck."

"Bo!" Lauren glanced at the open bedroom door, looking for two nosey faces. One thing she learned about having kids, they always showed up when it was least expected. "Keep your voice down." She whispered, glaring at her.

"I'm serious." Bo pulled the journal from Lauren's hand and tossed it on the floor. "It's been like eight days."

Lauren frowned at her book; she hadn't been able to save her place. "No, it hasn't. We had sex two days ago in the shower."

"That was eight days ago." Bo straddled Lauren's legs and started lowering her head to meet Lauren's lips. "Eight days and nights without touching you is torture." She bit Lauren's upper lip ever so slightly when she reached her mouth.

"You touch me all the time." Lauren smiled as Bo started lightly pecking her lips.

Bo loved it when Lauren toyed with her, and Lauren knew that Bo loved chasing her. She enjoyed the little game, the playfulness of it. And really she'd chase her wife to the ends of the earth if she had to.

"You know what I mean." Bo kissed her lips again and then pulled herself into a sitting position. "I've thought about your sexy body nonstop for days. Eight long days to be exact." She turned her face to the side and did her best to feign sadness.

"Don't mope. It's not becoming of you," Lauren sassed, without an ounce of seriousness.

"Becoming of me, huh?" Her fingers reached the edge of Lauren's underwear. "I know who I want coming." A mischievous smile crept up her face as she peered down at Lauren. "I mean you, babe. I want you coming…hard."

Lauren tried not to laugh but failed.

Leaning down, Bo's lips were on her exposed neck. "Woman, you smell amazing." She whispered against her skin.

"It's my new lotion."

Lauren could feel Bo's lips curve into a smile as she pressed them into the indentation of her collarbone. "Yum. I like it." Bo's warm tongue slid along that sensitive spot on her neck. "You taste so good."

Lauren shivered at the sensation of Bo's tongue on her skin; it was as if that spot was Lauren's turn on button. And Bo knew what to press, where to touch to get her hot and heated.

Bo moved her hands up and down Lauren's calves. Warmth seeped in where Bo laid her hands on Lauren's bare skin. She bit her lip to contain a groan. Having sex with two small kids in the house could be a challenge. It took planning, stealth. Awareness of the movements and sounds beyond the closed door. It could be frustrating at times because the spark between them hadn't faded even a little, they remained two women who were crazy about one another, but neither would trade it for the world.

Gripping her legs, Bo pulled Lauren down to her back, propping herself on top of her. "Come on, I'll be really quiet." She smiled, moving nose to nose with Lauren. Although their sex life was still fantastic and more or less frequent as ever, they couldn't be as loud as they once were. Not with two kids in the house. "We can lock the door and do wicked things to each other."

When Lauren simply looked at her, Bo pushed her lips out, and they were plump and kissable. It was impossible for Lauren to say no, especially since she was turned on as well.

Lauren leaned up opened her mouth and let Bo's tongue lazily caress hers. She moved back and peered up at Bo. Gone was the playful gaze, it was replaced with nothing but eager lust.

"Okay, but lock that door." Lauren said, her voice laced with arousal.

As Lauren said those words, Bo's eyes gleamed with victory. Bo knew the game was over. She had won.

After a quick kiss, Bo jumped up and jogged to the door. She did a quick sweep of the hallway to confirm the kids were still in their beds before she shut and locked the door.

"Put those glasses back on," Bo said, wagging her eyebrows as she crossed the room.

Smirking at the absurdity of the request, Lauren slid the glasses back on. When Bo reached the bed, she lifted the hem of her t-shirt, pulling it up over her head and tossing it to the floor.

The way Lauren's eyes raked her half-naked body gave Bo chills. Desire propelled them forward and their mouths collided immediately. With their lips still connected they collapsed back onto the bed.

Making love sweetly, slowly had its time; the long hours of endless foreplay, of touching and romance, were necessary too. And while Bo loved all that, sometimes being rough and hard and fast had its place as well. Even for married people with two little kids. Perhaps more so for them. Being wild with barely controlled abandon with a loved one should never be discounted. There was an intense intimacy and honesty about just wanting to orgasm, to come hard, with her partner, her lover, her wife.

After particularly intense round of lovemaking, Lauren shifted to her side to face Bo more completely. She was wearing a drowsy but satiated grin as she propped her head in her hand. "Better?"

Bo played with her hair still breathing heavy, every inch of her ached in a good way. "Yes. Much better."

"I'm sorry I kept you waiting for so long."

"You should be," Bo said, teasing her. "It was the worst."

Lauren ran her hands up Bo's thighs then rubbed the muscle, making Bo feel even more relaxed. "But are you satisfied for now?" She moved closer then ran her fingers through Bo's hair, massaging her scalp.

Bo pulled Lauren until she was resting on top of her. "For now, yes." She sighed, thinking about getting dressed. She hadn't slept naked in a few years. Not since her daughter crawled into their bed in the middle of the night and asked why mommy wasn't wearing her jammies. After that sleeping naked, while the kids were in the house, was out.

All thoughts of her kids and getting dressed flew out of her head as Lauren nipped at Bo's shoulder, and said, "Good. Now I need a shower. You got me all sweaty and dirty."

Bo chuckled and palmed Lauren's firm backside with both of her hands and squeezed. "I like you sweaty, and very, very dirty."

For several long moments, they kissed playfully, Lauren's teeth scraping along Bo's jaw to her neck, licking and sucking. "Feel like joining me?"

"Abso-fucking-lutely."

XXXXXX

Around four everyone had converged at Bo and Lauren's house to celebrate Dyson and Ciara's engagement. It was the type of day Lauren loved. One filled with celebration, and unstinting love. Marshall was technically Dyson's best man, but as he was only eight, Lauren wanted to take on some wedding-related festivities, like planning the engagement dinner. She was happy to step in and help whenever she could.

Bo came up behind Lauren and rested her hand on the area between her shoulder blades and caressed it gently. "You should have gotten wings." She felt Lauren's chuckle beneath her palm.

"This is an engagement party. I was going for something a little more classy."

"But it's Dyson. He's the opposite of classy."

"Well, this party is for Ciara too." Lauren turned around and smirked at Bo. "The wings are on the way."

"I knew it."

Bo glanced around and fondly remembered getting engaged to Lauren, getting married to her. Her playfulness immediately evaporated. "Thank you for being my wife, giving me an incredible life, and raising two kick ass kids with me."

"I should be thanking you, not the other way around."

Bo shook her head adamantly a few times. "I don't agree with that."

Lauren's smile claimed her features gradually and her eyes moved over Bo, warming gently until she was beaming. She gathered her in her arms. But she didn't kiss Bo or argue back. She just looked at her.

They were gazing into each other's eyes when they heard their son say something quietly to himself.

"Don't touch that!" They shouted in unison, turning in the direction of their son.

Ethan snatched his fingers back an instant before dipping it into the frosting of the cake on the kitchen table.

"Ethan, hands to yourself," Lauren said, placing her hands on her hips.

"I only wanted a little taste of that yummy, yummy icing." He complained with an adorable frown and big puppy dog eyes. A technique the five-year-old had perfected.

Lauren fought a smile. How on earth was she supposed to have the ability to discipline her son properly when he knew he could charm her so easily? But it was her and Bo's job to teach their children manners, so she couldn't give him a free pass.

"No tastes, little or otherwise," Lauren said as sternly as she could manage. "We have to wait."

"Leave that cake alone and go play with the other kids," Bo told him, looping her arm around Lauren's shoulder.

Gazing longingly at the cake for a long moment, Ethan looked torn in indecision.

"Go." Bo said in a much firmer tone than before, pointing to the next room.

At that word, Ethan twirled away from the cake, gave his moms a thumbs-up and dashed off to the other room.

They watched as Ethan went up and whispered something to Charlotte. Clearly, they had been in cahoots about sneaking a taste of the cake.

Bo swallowed her chuckle, turning it into a cough. "I love those little monsters."

"Yes, perfect little monsters indeed." Lauren's attention skipped to the kids behind Bo and then back to her face. "I'm wildly in love with you."

Bo opened her mouth to tell her that she loved her also. But Lauren stopped her by catching her chin gently, and kissing her.

Everyone settled into their own conversations as they waited for Dyson and Ciara to arrive. Lauren walked through the throng of happy people, pausing for a few quick hellos. At the doorway to the next room, she braced herself against it and watched the kids. Marshall was playing a video game with Theo, Kenzi and Hale's son, while Ethan and Charlotte watched them play. The younger kids enthusiastically asked the two older boys many questions about the game. Occasionally asking for a turn. Kiersten, Kenzi and Hale's six-year-old daughter, sat on the floor playing with her toys not interested in the game at all. Eventually, Charlotte got bored and joined Kiersten on the floor to play.

A few minutes later, Theo smiled down at Ethan. "Here you go, have a turn."

Ethan eagerly sat next to his cousin and took the controller while Theo helped him play. Theo was a lot like Hale, both in looks and personality. He was tall and lean, friendly, and easy-going.

In the kitchen, Hale was talking to Tamsin when his phone rang. "They're five minutes out." He announced to the party.

XXXXX

As soon as Dyson and Ciara walked inside, everyone jumped up and yelled "Congratulations!"

Dyson pulled Ciara close to him then forced her into a dip and kissed her. Everyone whistled and clapped.

Lauren reached them first and hugged Dyson. "I'm so happy for you," She said in an excited voice. She released him and hugged Ciara next. "Looks like you'll officially be my best friend-in-law."

Ciara laughed in Lauren's arms. "I guess so. And it's an honor."

"Thanks for making my friend happy," Lauren said and stepped aside while everyone came up to greet the newly engaged couple. Tears were shed, and laughs were shared as one by one everyone offered their congratulations to the couple.

An hour later everyone had eaten dinner, and Marshall stood in front of all the party guests. He pulled out a bunch of note cards and looked down at them. He took a deep breath and looked up. "Thank you all for being here today. It means a lot to me, and it means a lot to my mom and dad." He glanced at his parents, and then Lauren. "I'm not very good at speeches…My aunt Lauren might have helped me a little…"

Bo smiled and placed her hand on Lauren's thigh. But Lauren kept her eyes on Marshall. She adored the boy, and they shared a special bond. He was a great kid and like a big brother to her children. She knew, of all the people in that room, Ciara and Dyson included, Marshall was the happiest. His parents were finally getting married.

"I just wanted to say thank you for being here with us as we celebrate my parent's engagement…"

The crowd clapped, and Marshall looked down at his notes again. The boy was clearly nervous about speaking in front of the group. Taking another deep breath, he looked back up. "I've learned from my mom and dad and my aunt Lauren and Bo that the way you care about the people in your life is what matters. The way you care for and look after the people you love is what makes life great. I'm proud of both my parents, and I love them. And I'm happy they're getting married." He looked around the room and shrugged. "I guess that's it." He said before rushing off to sit down. Dyson and Ciara came to sit by him. Dyson gave him a high-five and Ciara planted a long kiss on his cheek, pinking his face in embarrassment.

Dyson raised his hand, and the crowd quieted again. "Thank you all, so much. It means a lot to Ciara and me that everyone is so excited about our engagement."

A few more people stood up to give toasts and shortly after everyone started mingling in small groups again. Everyone talked. Talked and laughed, and had an amazing time.

In one corner Ciara's parents and Dyson's parents were chatting and swapping stories. Ciara sat with her best girl friends excitedly talking about wedding plans and showing off her ring. A few of Dyson's cop buddies were drinking beers and trash talking each other.

Bo and Kenzi were standing with Tamsin and Hale. Kenzi stood shorter than all the others, and her rounded belly was visible from all angles. It was Kenzi and Hale's third child.

"I'm always pregnant," Kenzi said, immediately touching her stomach.

"Yes." Bo turned to her sister and smiled. "You are."

"Three is it," Kenzi stated and looked up at Hale. "I told my husband that's it."

"We'll see," Hale said, leaning down to kiss her.

Bo laughed at that, knowing Hale always teased Kenzi about wanting a half dozen kids. Bo couldn't imagine that. Lauren set the limit at two, and Bo had agreed. Ethan and Charlotte were it for them.

"This time's the worst." Kenzi said, rubbing her stomach. "I pee myself every time I stand up. Or when I laugh. Or walk. Or sit….Or breathe."

"Ew," Tamsin said, making a face. "You make me glad I'll never be pregnant."

"Tamsin!" A small body hit her legs, arms wrapping around them and almost knocking her backward.

"Hey, kiddo," Tamsin said, patting Charlotte's head. Tamsin had never been particularly interested in children, she was pretty indifferent to them. But she had to admit Charlotte and Ethan were very cute and fun even to her. She liked spending time with them, especially since she could go home alone at the end of the playtime.

"Are you coming over soon?" Charlotte stared up at her with wide, pleading eyes. "I want to show you my new water skills. I can go off the diving board all by myself."

"Yep, Charlotte's a strong swimmer," Bo said, looking down at her daughter. "Jumps right off the diving board. No floaties."

Charlotte lit up with delight at the praise from her mommy.

"That's great. I would love to see it." Tamsin said, bending down to hug her. "Sometime soon, okay?"

Charlotte gave a little hop and a clap. Then spun off to go join the other kids to play.

In the other room, Lauren smiled as she plonked herself down next to Dyson. "Are you excited yet?" she asked, crossing her legs and leaning against his shoulder.

"I am. I'm more excited about getting married than I thought I would be." Dyson said with a smile.

"I'm glad you aren't freaking out about it."

"Why would I freak out?" Dyson shrugged nonchalantly. "Ciara and I are already married anyway. This is just making it official."

"That's beautiful."

As Dyson and Lauren talked a bit about her award's ceremony, Tamsin came over to join them. "Marshall's speech was so adorable. I like literally almost cried."

"When are we going to meet your new girlfriend?" Lauren asked, pouncing the moment Tamsin sat down.

"At the wedding?" Dyson said, his eyes taunting.

Tamsin shifted, suddenly looking uncomfortable. "It's still too new. I don't want…"

"To scare her off by introducing her to your friends," Dyson exchanged a glance with Lauren.

"Something like that." Tamsin bit out, the words arriving sharper than she'd intended.

"Everything I hear about her makes me like her," Lauren said in an offhand manner, her eyes now on the kids playing with lightsabers across the room.

"How do you know her?" That question came from Dyson as he looked at Lauren in surprise.

"I don't." Lauren gave Dyson an exasperated look then sought to explain further when he simply grinned at her. "I know people who know her."

"Are you Facebook stalking my girlfriend, Lauren?" Tamsin shot Lauren a bewildered but amused look.

"What? No." Lauren denied, her eyes wide. "Like I said I know people."

Dyson wasn't really buying that explanation. "Excuse Lauren. She's been wanting to marry us all off for years. She can't help herself."

Lauren rolled her eyes. "Hysterical, Dyson. I just want everyone to be happy. That's all I've ever wanted. If that means marriage fine, if not fine. I love being married, but I know it's not for everyone…"

"And this is why I'm not introducing you," Tamsin huffed an exaggerated breath and leaned back on the sofa. "Yet. It's too much pressure."

Bo appeared at Lauren's side, seemingly materializing out of thin air. She looked back and forth between them and asked, "What are you all talking about?"

Dyson turned to look up at Bo. "Lauren's stalking Tamsin's girlfriend. It was a shocking revelation to us all."

Bo laughed at that and Lauren slapped Dyson on the shoulder making him chuckle. "I'm not. All I said is that I know people."

"You already said that." Dyson's tone was neutral, but Lauren could tell he was trying very hard to keep a straight face.

"Yes. I just wanted to reiterate the fact that it came up in casual conversation…that's it…no stalking." Lauren gave Dyson an annoyed scowl as his shoulders shook with silent laughter. "My friend Tara goes to the same gym as her."

Abruptly, Tamsin stood up, and everyone's eyes went to her. "I promise you'll meet her. But I really like her, and I want to take things slow."

"You're totally smitten with her." Bo piped in as she claimed the empty spot next to Lauren. "So cute."

Tamsin winced comically and covered her face with her hands.

Maybe it wasn't logical or realistic, but Lauren believed or hoped, that somewhere out there, there was someone for everybody, and she wanted Tamsin to find that. After Evony had moved away years before, and left their lives completely, Tamsin had pretended like it didn't bother her, but Lauren sensed that it hurt her more than she'd let on. She had dated around for a few years until she had recently started dating her new girlfriend. They had all been shocked when Tamsin actually referred to someone as her girlfriend. But she had yet to bring her around and introduce them.

"I think it's sweet that you're so protective of your new relationship." Bo said, drawing Lauren's attention to her.

Silence fell over them as they all eyed Tamsin and she grew even more uncomfortable. "It's complicated. She's divorced, and I don't know if I can deal with all that baggage and drama." She said, admitting some of the fear she felt over her new relationship.

That was not something Lauren expected Tamsin to admit. Her eyes settled on Bo. Affectionately. "When love finds you, you have to seize it. Inconveniences, messiness, problems…all of it."

Bo swung her arm around Lauren's shoulder and rubbed it. "Yep, Lauren and I proved that years ago."

"Mommy's not messy." Ethan cut in, thinking he was defending Lauren.

Relieved to have the attention off her, Tamsin took a seat again. In the past, she'd generally preferred solitude to company, but that was slowly changing. She was happy with her new girlfriend. But it was not something she was accustomed to, so she wanted to take things slow.

Bo ruffled the hair of her son, who stood with his toy lightsaber at his side. "Nope but your other mommy is. Very messy."

"Yeah, you are. 'Member that time you let Charlotte and I make mud pies in the kitchen? It was so fun."

"Shh," Bo said to him, earning a glare from Lauren then a smile. "Dude, that was our secret."

Giggling, Ethan clasped a hand over his mouth. "Sorry, mom."

Ciara came into the room and clapped her hands together. "Let's take a picture. I want to remember this special night." She sat up a tripod on the far end of the room and set the timer on the camera.

They all huddled together with Ciara and Dyson in the middle and the kids in the front. Ethan and Charlotte stuck fingers on either sides of their mouths and pulled in opposite directions, crossing their eyes. After the shot snapped they both giggled boisterously.

"You ruined the picture!" Kiersten chided Ethan and Charlotte, crossing her arms over her body.

"I think they made it perfect," Kenzi said, smiling at her.

At that encouragement from her mom, Kiersten joined in on the fun by making silly faces for the camera.

After they took several more goofy shots, Ciara said, "Okay, let's take a good picture this time."

Everyone settled down and they held smiles on their faces until the camera light went off and the picture was taken.

When they were done, Lauren moved and went to the stereo and turned it up. Then she started dancing in the middle of the room. Ethan and Charlotte joined right in, spinning in circles and jumping up and down.

"Bo, get in here!" Lauren waved her wife over.

Bo rushed over and pulled Lauren into her body. Staring into the depths of Lauren's eyes, Bo mouthed, 'I love you'.

It took mere seconds for their children to cut in. Giggling, the adorable pair squeezed right between them. Bo and Lauren backed up a step, letting the little ones hold their waists while they continued to hold each other. As a foursome, they continued dancing around the room.

Lauren looked down at her kids, then back at Bo, but she was looking down at the kids watching them dance. Lauren's mind rushed through the years of their lives, what her hopes for the future held. The laughter and the play of their kids, the days that would pass as they watched them grow and mature. The way their little kids would slowly transform into adults, how it would terrify her yet, at the same time, make her incredibly proud. How her children would learn about life, the good and the bad. All the missteps and triumphs, love and heartache they would no doubt face. How one day they would create families and lives for themselves, whatever that would look like for them. How she and Bo would grow old together and remain in love every day.

Bo glanced at Lauren, her brown eyes steeped in emotion, in happiness, and their gazes locked. Lauren brought herself back to the present, not wanting to miss the moment by getting lost in her head.

Close to them, Theo and Marshall started doing the moonwalk, drawing laughs from their parents. Dyson grabbed Ciara and started dancing with her, while Hale picked up his daughter and spun around in circles. Kenzi moved slowly beside them with her hands on her belly.

Eventually, everyone joined them, even Tamsin, and they all danced without any coordination whatsoever and sang every song at the top of their lungs, off key. But that didn't matter. Because they were celebrating and they were a family.

 **XXXXX**

 **AN**

 **The end.**

 **Thanks for reading this story.**

 **I have 7 out of 9 fics completed now, and I dislike leaving things unfinished, so I will try to get back into the last two and complete them. My goal is to focus on World's Apart first since it's already 12 chapters in.**


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